Razor's Edge
by Tairis Deamhan
Summary: Mass Effect 2 novelization, the life of one spectre that's seen more than his share of the galaxy's dark side. If you've already died once the question becomes what's worth living for? It's the question that will have to be answered to save a galaxy.
1. Prologue

**Razor's Edge**

**Prologue**

_Spectres. Members of the Special Tactics and Reconnaissance branch of the Citadel Council. Some are peacemakers. Diplomats that seek to prevent violence with words. Others are hard-eyed assassins, removing threats from the shadows. All are among the most elite operatives ever produced by any government or species. Few individuals ever know of the decisions made by Spectres, but billions can feel the consequences of their actions. To be a Spectre is to stand outside the law, beholden only to the Council... and to one's self._

_In 2183 the first human Spectre was appointed by the Council in the opening days of the Eden Prime War. His name was Johnathan Shepard, a commander with the Alliance's elite N7 special forces. His mission to Saren, a rogue turian Spectre leading an army of synthetic troops, changed the face of the galaxy. In its darkest hour the Council was saved by humanity and the System's Alliance. Saren's massive fleet was defeated at great cost. But the mission also revealed a threat of unimaginable power. The Reapers. Sentient dreadnoughts, thinking machines that wiped out all sapient life every fifty thousand years.  
_

_Most believe the Reapers to be nothing more than a myth. But those that serve aboard the SSV Normandy know the truth. Their victory against Saren and the geth was only the first shots in a battle to decide the fate of the galaxy. The war has just begun.  
_

* * *

A tortured scream of rending metal overloaded Shepard's senses, the world around him lurching with such force that his feet left the deck. Only the equally sudden loss of gravity kept him from slamming into the bulkhead. He was dazed for a moment. Entering combat mode meant the artificial gravity was disabled to reroute power to vital systems and barriers to prevent widespread decompression. Reflexes from a lifetime shipboard kicked in: push off, hit the locker, helmet, seals, hoses, check.

"Joker! Report! What the hell is going on?"

"They came out of nowhere, Commander! Ignored the stealth completely, we might as well have been waving a flare out the window!"

He triggered his omni-tool, feeling a knot tighten in his chest when the computer showed a wire frame diagram of the ship. Part of the rear fuselage was simply gone. Decompression and fire warnings covered the display like the lights of an frantically overcharged Christmas tree. Whatever had hit them wasn't messing around and possessed more firepower than anything they'd ever run across. Activating the magnetics in his boots he pushed towards the cockpit, nearly losing his footing again as the ship shuddered and leaned.

His ship was under attack, no warning or provocation. The geth couldn't have hit that hard and fast, not to mention possess the ability to see through their stealth systems in the first place. There were nearly fifty soldiers aboard, his crew, his people. Not to mention the ones that had stood at his side against Saren. Wrex had shipped out soon after Saren's defeat, saluting him as a fellow warrior and saying that he had given him the chance to accomplish something he'd put off for too long. But the others were still here, Tali, probably still in engineering, always so fascinated with the Normandy. Garrus. Garrus and Ashley would make sure the below decks were cleared. He stabbed a button on his omni-tool, the wailing of the abandon ship siren adding to the bedlam a second later. Liara came stumbling out of the elevator, he caught her arm steadying them both with a hand on the railing.

"What's happening?" she asked, frantically double checking the seals on her own suit.

"We're under attack and we're losing. Get everyone out! If one hit has the Normandy coming apart we can't wait," he said.

"What about Joker?"

"I'll get him, just go!"

The asari looked at him for one long moment before nodding. When they met her she was just a nervous young researcher. Amazing how a few months could put some steel into someone. He trusted her to make sure the others made it to the escape pods. It was up to him to make sure their excessively competent, and confident, pilot got out alive. He had just started towards the cockpit again when everything went white for a moment then the visor opaqued to save his eyes. He was moving before his vision had even cleared. The blast had sliced through the Normandy's neck, a gaping hole exposed to space, rimmed in the melted edges of the ship's hull still glowing dully.

He plunged through the decompression barriers, the moment of absolute silence as he passed between one sealed part of the vessel and the next almost deafening in its own right. Stepping into the pilot's area was another kind of hellish noise, beeping and screeching alarms of every variety reinforcing their dire situation. "Come on, Joker. Abandon ship order already went out."

"I can still save her, Commander!" Joker insisted, fighting with the controls, fingers moving in a blur. He grabbed the man's flight suit, bodily hauling him up out of the chair.

"The Normandy is dead, I won't have her crew joining her!"

"Ow! Watch the... everything!" he said with a wince, bumping into one of the consoles before his voice took on a more resigned tone. "Fine fine! Escape pod, this way."

They quickly made their way to the pod, the circular opening giving a hiss. He glanced over his shoulder one final time as if to say goodbye to the Normandy. Then he saw the golden flash and old reflexes took over once more. Joker was shoved forward into the escape pod, the lack of gravity sending him back to other direction. Grabbing the side of the bulkhead he tried to hold on. But the torrent of fire wouldn't let up... with a final word he slammed his fist on the activation panel.

"Go!"

The escape pod's hatch slammed shut with finality and then the Normandy came apart around him in a roar of fire and chaos. Sharp pain bit into his shoulder and back, the metal surrounding him came away and he was floating free in space. Beneath him the Normandy fell apart, being pulled into the embrace of the planet below. He gasped for breath but found it shallow, finally hearing the hiss of escaping air, feeling the pain of something lodged in his back, blood between suit and skin.

He reached back, trying to find an air hose, fruitlessly trying to seal the holes in his ruptured suit. The rational part of his mind knew that it was hopeless. The fact that he wasn't in more pain meant whatever had struck his back was likely fatal on its own. His survival instinct wouldn't let him give in, though, even as he gasped for air that wasn't there. His gasp was an unpleasant, croaking sound. His chest burned. Everything burned. Another airless choke. Another tightened fist clutching nothing as the planet's pull began to claim him. The last thing he saw was the smallest glimmer of hope, if not for him then for what he fought for. Tiny blue flares against the void... escape pods burning away noticed.

And then he was gone. Commander John Shepard, Hero of the Citadel, The Survivor of Akuze, Savior of the Council died in space above a planet without a name, to an enemy unknown.

* * *

Five people sat around an oval table in one of the few bars back up and running on the Citadel in the months since Saren's attack. Shepard's crew. His loyal team.

"I c-can't believe he's gone."

"Me either, Tali. But the Alliance made it official. Couldn't even recover a body," Garrus said, his gravely voice cutting through the silence that followed the engineer's statement. "Council is going to 'honor his memory'... but they won't see any of us and don't want to make a big deal of it. Apparently with their new Spectre gone, they think his problems died with him."

Joker's cup slammed into the table, liquid sloshing over the edge. The slim man leaned forward and placed his head in his hands. Tali's suit couldn't completely muffle the miserable sniffling sounds that came from her helmet and even Garrus and Joker's witty commentary was absent.

"Command told me I'm 'not to speak about any events involved in the so called 'Saren Incident' or make any mention of 'Reapers'."

"What do we do now?" Liara asked. Her voice held that calm strength that many asari seemed to possess, earned from her experiences aboard the Normandy.

"I've already been reassigned. Special training or something, told to keep my mouth shut," Ashley sighed, idly spinning her empty glass on the table. "I can't believe how fast they turned... without Shepard they just want to go back to the status quo."

"Yea, did I mention they grounded me?" Joker added. "That's right, save the galaxy, lose your commanding officer... congrats, enjoy walking from now on man-with-creaky-legs."

Garrus rapped his glass on the table, summoning the server, motioning for a refill all around. The salarian simply nodded and quickly poured the variety of liquors between the group before moving away once more. Each spent some time staring into their drinks, lost in thought. Shepard had brought them together, made them a team... made them heroes. Now that he and the Normandy were both gone it was like watching one's home burn down.

"I-I guess it is time for me to return to the Flotilla," the quarian said, her voice losing a little of the shakiness. "Thanks to S-Sh... the Commander I can complete my Pilgrimage."

"If you need somewhere to stay in the meantime..." Garrus said, placing a hand lightly on the girl's shoulder. "I know people aren't always friendly towards Quarians and us dextros have to stick together."

"Thank you."

Liara nodded to them both. "I will have to find a new path. What about you, Garrus?"

"I'll continue what Shepard started. Before... before the attack, we had talked, I told him I was going to apply for Spectre training. I intend to stick to that."

Ashley glanced over at Joker. "And we get reassigned. Keep fighting the good fight."

With a raspy cough, Garrus raised his glass. When he spoke it was greater strength and conviction than he had in the past two weeks, his voice clear and loud.

"We carry on, because that's what Shepard would have wanted. To Shepard!"

"To Shepard."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Awakening

_"Fire! Fire! Shoot the damn thing!"_

_Sweat pours off his body. Behind him, he can hear the screams of men dying, the sickening crunch of crushing bone and the smell of bile and blood. Shepard spins, frantically pumping fire into the enormous, dark brown form of the beast. It is a massive thing, as big around as a shuttle craft and fast. The assault rifle's rounds seem to do little more than pock market its thick hide, as it rears back and then lunges forward. A viscous blob of green liquid erupts from its maw. He dives to the right, the man running next to him isn't as quick. The stuff catches his left side and he immediately begins to scream, flesh and even armor running like wax in the hot sun. Others try to stand their ground, rifles and shotguns flashing brilliantly yet fruitlessly._

_"Get back to the transports! Fall back! Go go go!"_

_Someone is barking orders, but he doesn't know who. The lieutenant leading the platoon had disappeared in a sticky red mist when the thing had first erupted from the ground. The beast disappears beneath the earth as suddenly as it appeared, the ground shuddering. Most of the soldiers stand unsteadily, looking around with weapons raised. The creature is subterranean... it must sense vibrations and pressure, sounds or moisture. The ground continues to vibrate, a low thrum like the bass at an overly loud concert. Another shout._

_"Run! Its under the ground. It's not gone! Get off the plain!"_

_He realizes the shouting man is himself. He's only a corporal, but his survival instincts have taken over. Booted feet slapping the sand as he makes a mad dash for the nearest hill. He feels the sand shift, stumbling forward and rolling as stray bits of soil and grit shower him. The thing looms over him, giving a feral, deafening roar. Shots ring out, a sharp blue line traces its way across the things chin. A chunk of stone streaks to strike its plated belly, a faint azure glow about it._

_"Get off your ass, Shepard!"_

_The voice is deep and gravely. He tries to scramble to his feet, rifle clutched in shaky hands. A turian is running across the sands, slow, methodical shots ringing out despite his gait. Turian? There weren't any turians on this colony. But he knew the turian. Garrus. Across from him another form stands, glowing with power as another piece of stone strikes the thing. The asari looks over her shoulder with a smirk. Liara. This wasn't how it happened. What were they doing?_

_"We need you, Shepard. Come on!" Fingers grab his armored collar, the unmistakable accent coming from behind as he finally levers himself to his feet. Tali runs past, shotgun roaring fire, the massive bulk of a battle scarred krogan right behind her. Wrex. Ashley and Kaidan standing their ground nearby, guns barking out a steady stream of fire. This isn't right. They don't understand. This thing is speed and claws... and death._

_He stumbles backward, trying to cry out but his voice doesn't respond. The thresher maw leaps forward towards his crew. Screams echo in his ears._

_"Shepard!"_

"Shepard! Wake up, dammit!"

He jerked up as if a thousand volts of electricity had just passed through his body. The world was bright, white. A hospital? A lab? He shook his head. The last thing he remembered was watching the Normandy burn, tiny drive flares in the distance. He remembered... death.

"Excellent. There's no time to waste. You've got to get moving, Shepard."

"What-" his voice cracked, making him pause before trying again. "What's going on? Where am I?"

"I'm sure you have questions. Now isn't the time. Security has been compromised. Hostile mechs are closing on your position, you have to get out of there and get to the shuttles. I'll guide you. Hurry, soldier. Snap to it!"

As far as human beings went, Shepard considered himself one of the most confused on record. The woman's voice didn't sound familiar, neither did his surroundings, or even the fact that he was alive. The sharp tone at the end of her statement kicked old instincts into action and he levered himself off of the table, bare feet hitting the cool floor and standing on shaky legs. He pulled the IV from his arm and stumbled towards the door.

"There is a storage locker across the hall... you'll find some armor and a weapon, get suited up as quick as possible. I'll guide you..."

For the next half hour he didn't think, he just acted. The armor wasn't perfect, but it was better than being naked and the pistol felt reassuring in his grip. The security mechs were dangerous, but taking them down felt more like an exercise than a true life or death situation. Their jerky movements and slowness to aim gave him more than ample time to pump a round into their optics and move on. Each room was empty, save for the occasional dead body in a white and black uniform. The voice stopped guiding him after awhile, apparently experiencing troubles of her own. He took the opportunity to scan a few computers he came across, finding references to 'Project Lazarus' and references to himself, massive amounts of credits being expended.

He saw his first human face in a young soldier named Jacob. As far as help went, he couldn't complain. The guy was young, obviously fit and trained, skin the color of rich coffee and a set jaw that made Shepard think he'd be the type stand his ground in an argument. There hadn't been a great deal of time for questions, but the man had assured him that it was all real. He wasn't a clone or something more insidious, he was alive and he was himself: Commander John Shepard. A few dozen more security mechs later they had reached the shuttle bay. A door swished open and a shot rang out, the tech that had opened the door slumped to the floor lifelessly.

"What the hell?" he had his pistol trained on the woman before the tech had hit the floor. She was tall, all dark hair and pale skin. Beautiful, really, though the thin line her mouth was set in made her look severe.

Jacob seemed to be just as surprised, but didn't quite train his weapon on her. "Miranda? What-"

"Wilson was a traitor. He's the one that triggered the mechs," she said coolly. The voice was unmistakable, his guide during his first few minutes awake. She had been trying to keep him alive, and the tech, Wilson's, story hadn't added up. "Come on, we have to get off this station."

"I don't think so. I want answers. What the hell is going on here? Where is here?" he demanded. He dropped the barrel of his weapon, but kept it at the ready on the off chance his instincts were wrong. While thus far the he'd gotten nothing but help from the two in front of him it didn't answer the most pertinent question. Why was he alive and who was responsible?

"We don't have time for this."

"Miranda, we have to tell him! If we want him to trust us, we can't be playing games."

Shepard glanced between the two of them. "Tell me what, exactly?"

"Look, I'm going to tell you who we work for but I need you to keep your head straight," Jacob said, nodding towards the pistol held tightly in his grasp. The woman tried to cut him off but he pushed ahead. "We work for Cerberus. They're the ones responsible for bringing you back. And I do mean back. You were just meat and tubes when you got here."

That particular revelation was like a dreadnought had slammed into his gut. Jacob couldn't have blindsided him anymore if he had told him that the Geth were his benefactors. He could only manage a single question.

"Why?"

"Maybe we can answer that better after we get off of this station?" Miranda asked.

He simply nodded, motioning towards the shuttle doors. They'd already come this far, if they wanted to kill him they had an odd way of showing it. It didn't take long to get the shuttle up and running and within a few minutes they were in space. The ship lurched as it accelerated towards an unknown destination. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, holding his head in his hands. For the first time he noticed the fresh lines on his face, tracing the lines with his fingertips. Though he couldn't see what they looked like he suspected he had picked up some 'souvenirs' from his ordeal. Apparently Miranda was observant as well as ruthless as she immediately spoke up.

"Unfortunately we weren't able to quite finish, Shepard. With luck those will heal on their own."

Shepard looked up at his. The scars on his face glittered faintly in the dim light of the shuttle. "Finish what, exactly? I've played along so far, now I want answers."

"You'll have to talk to the Illusive Man to find out everything, but I can tell you this: Cerberus has poured considerable resources into Project Lazarus. It's sole purpose was to bring you back, Commander Shepard, after the destruction of the Normandy. Drugs, surgery, cybernetics. All bleeding edge, beyond experimental."

He was about to ask something when she mentioned the Normandy. His dream came back to him in a rush. "My crew. The Normandy. What happened? Did everyone...?

Jacob answered this time. "Most of them survived. Your XO, Presley, was killed in the initial attack and unfortunately some of the crew from the lower decks weren't able to get out. But your team, Liara, Garrus Vakarian, the quarian, they all made it out."

"'The Quarian' has a name, it's Tali," he responded crossly. He hadn't even seen a quarian until he had become a Spectre. But then he hadn't dealt with a great deal of Krogan until Wrex. The Normandy had been a learning experience, that was for certain. In between almost getting himself killed on a daily basis he'd learned more than he could have ever imagined listening to Wrex's war stories or Tali's excited chatter about the Normandy and her people.

"No offense intended," the other man said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "The Alliance and the Council downplayed your death and they didn't go out of their way to mention some of your team mates all that much after you were gone either."

"So... why?" he repeated his question from before, his fears for his crew assuaged.

"Because the Illusive Man believes you are the single best hope humanity has to survive the coming storm. I only hope he's right. We've invested two years and billions of credits into that hope."

"Two... years?"

"Bringing a man back from death isn't a simple trip to the hospital, Commander. It took considerable effort and... sacrifice just to retrieve your remains and start he process. It's been two years and nine days since you were officially declared dead," Miranda said.

"Two years..." he muttered, leaning back against the bulkhead.

* * *

"Humanity is at war, Shepard. Whether we'll admit it or not, we're under attack and Cerberus is the only one willing to do anything about it."

When they arrived at the station he'd been directed to a darkened room with an odd glowing floor. Moments later Shepard was standing before the pulsing vista of a star, speaking to a man only known by a code name: The Illusive Man. The first few minutes had been... tense. He was still a little mixed up, and he remembered quite well the experiments Cerberus had been performing. Especially on Akuze... but he'd reigned in his anger and listened. While he might chafe at the idea of working an organization he considered little better than terrorists, the Illusive Man had a point. The Alliance had buried its head in the sand, afraid of losing the political clout they'd gained at the Battle of the Citadel. He needed to get back out there and do... something. He needed a direction. And for now he was willing to play Cerberus' game.

"Fine, then how do you propose we fight this war?"

A thin smile played across the man's features. "So it's we, now? Good to see my point was made. I want you to do what you do best, Shepard. I want you to go after the truth and let nothing stand in your way. I have a lead: one of the outer colonies was just hit. We can be the first on the scene. I'll provide you with everything you need. I even acquired a pilot. He claims to be the best. Good luck, Shepard."

With that the room fell into darkness again before the ambient lighting activated.

"You know, Commander... you look pretty damn good for a ghost."

He spun on his heel. "Joker?"

The man gave a lazy salute. "Ready to go save the galaxy... again?"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Second Chances

The Normandy drifted out of dock, a ghost given a new form of solid polymer and steel. Joker was as happy as Shepard had ever seen him, his initial annoyance at the discovery of the ship's AI was forgotten at the feeling of the Normandy under his control once more. How Cerberus had built this ship, twice the size of the original Normandy and even more advanced, was a mystery, but one he wouldn't analyze too deeply. For now it felt good to have deck plating under his feet, the low thrum of power as powerful engines accelerated the ship towards the relay. He stared out the window as the Normandy smoothly made the jump into FTL, the faint blue corona shimmering against the stars. His reflection stared back at him, one hand tracing the new scars on his face, a few giving the faintest orange glow, like the embers of a long extinguished fire. Shepard frowned.

"She's a beautiful ship, Joker. But she's not the original Normandy."

The man spun in his chair, gesturing around him. "Yea, she's better. Look, Commander. Leather seats. It breathes! Not to mention we're faster, better armed, and with more extensive facilities. And you gotta admit that Pressley, god rest his soul, didn't exactly have all the same... ah, assets as Miranda."

Shepard glowered at him. "Maybe, but I'd have trusted Pressley at my back with a gun any day. I'm not sure I can say the same about my new 'XO', no matter how much you appreciate her 'assets'. Everything on this ship isn't a strict improvement."

"Mrs. Lawson is extremely dedicated to Cerberus and the mission, Commander. She will not jeopardize the success of your mission for personal gain," EDI piped up. He merely gave Joker a significant glance. The pilot rolled his eyes and nodded before turning back to the controls.

"Point taken, Commander."

"Get us to Freedom's Progress, Joker, maximum speed. Minor discrepancies or not, let's see what she can do."

"Aye aye, Commander," Joker responded, engrossed once again with his shiny new systems and consoles.

He left the cockpit and headed towards the elevator. The young redheaded yeoman smiled at him as he passed. She seemed nice enough, quite a few of people he had met seemed far less diabolical then he'd come to expect from Cerberus. That might have worried him more than if they'd all been cold-eyed killers, at least that would have been something familiar. Taking the elevator up to the first deck he was surprised when the doors open to a room that was the size of one of the observation lounges on the crew deck. There was even a fish tank of all things taking up the entire left wall... and a sky light?

"EDI?"

"Yes, Commander?" she responded.

"This is definitely not standard Alliance issue. My cabin was a quarter of this size on the original Normandy. And there's a window."

"Correct, Commander," the even female voice intoned. "While the Normandy is based on original Alliance specifications, it is not a military vessel. Liberties have been taken for personal taste and comfort that would not be found on most Alliance warships. I was also told to inform you that in combat, armored shutters similar to those on the cockpit cover all windows. The Illusive Man anticipated your objection to the structural weaknesses they present and planned accordingly."

Shepard paused for a few moments. Cerberus certainly knew how to build a ship at least. "It does still seem a little... excessive."

"This area is located just below the upper super-structure at the top of the elevator that connects all of the decks of the Normandy. It was determined that with the space available it would have been less efficient to attempt to make a smaller 'deck' out of the location. The crew in the shipyards referred to this section of the ship as the 'loft'."

"I suppose I won't complain. Thank you, EDI," he said.

"Logging you out, Commander."

The truth of the matter was that this was the single largest amount of personal space he had ever had to his name. A life growing up on board various vessels and then straight into the Alliance military had taught him to pack light and compact. He hadn't even had private quarters until he'd been promoted to Commander. Now he had a room that would have done the captain of an Everest-class Dreadnought proud. Looking up from bed and seeing stars would take some getting used to. He shook his head and sat down at 'his' desk, the terminal automatically lighting up in front of him. It began scrolling relevant information and menus, ship logs, the crew database, extranet all at his fingertips. Apparently he had the same hardwired connection that was available on the CIC. This ship had to have cost hundreds of millions of credits. The hardwired extranet terminal and the fish tank alone would have been half a million credits. A fish tank. On a space ship. Only a mega-corporation or organization like Cerberus would think to put a tank of perfectly good water on a space going vessel and then put fish in it.

He smiled momentarily to himself. Tali would be speechless if she saw it, the open space and amenities on the first Normandy had been shocking to her, and that ship had honestly been rather spartan by human standards. And of course Wrex would have just asked if you could keep fish for eating in the tank. The smile fled his face quickly, though, at the thought of his friends. He'd been gone... not gone, dead, for two years. What had happened to them? For that matter, what had happened to him? The Illusive Man and Miranda had both assured him that he wasn't a clone or construct, nor did he possess any kind of implant or control chip. They wanted him whole and original. Well, as whole and original as possible.

Shepard tapped lightly on the screen, bringing up a page that both fascinated and frightened him. It was a detailed listing of all of the cybernetics and modifications that the Lazarus Project had used to work their miracle and bring a dead man back to life. Nerve stimulators and enhancers trailed down his spine and he saw a diagram of the alloy reconstruction of his skeleton where there was too large a gap of missing bone for it to grow back naturally, or where it was added to reinforce weakened areas. It appeared that his entire right shoulder blade was almost entirely metal from where he'd felt wreckage strike him. Other implants could be seen working in tandem with his heart and lungs, and even a few trailing hints of cybernetics connected to his brain stem to regulate it all. He again recalled their assurances that they'd done nothing to compromise him. One thing he was oddly happy to notice was how 'real' his eyes were. Tissue regeneration and some minor cybernetic enhancement on the nerve had been enough to let him keep that part organic at least. Modern cybernetics were amazing, but something about the idea of looking out at the world through synthetic cameras just didn't feel right.

In truth he was in even better shape than he had been before the... incident. They hadn't just been content to revive as he'd suspected. He'd felt it while they were escaping the base. A little more power when ran, a little less out of breath. Not to mention that the metal reinforcement that snaked through the bones of his arms and hands would probably pack a considerably greater amount of power if he got into close combat. Dragging the screen to the next page he found more data. Heart rate tests, white and red blood cell count, chemical tolerances all scrolled across. He was oddly amused to note that with some of the organ enhancements they'd done in the process of reviving him meant he likely could have shared one of those turian beers that Garrus had liked and not die or go into shock from it. It would probably still taste like crap and be completely indigestible in the normal sense, but it wouldn't kill him. Just get filtered out. Seeing even more minor additions, joint reinforcement, something about skin weave, and kinesthetic reinforcement, he grimaced.

_Am I even human anymore?_

No one had asked him if he wanted to be brought back, to continue this fight. But then if they had he likely knew what his answer would have been. He looked around the cabin and sighed. So this is what you got when you made a deal with the devil.

* * *

_His lungs burn, desperately gasping for air that isn't there, a feeling like sinking into icy water creeping up his legs..._

Shepard sat up in bed with a gasp. He took a few deep breaths and calmed himself. A dream. No, not a dream. A memory. But still not real, he was... he was in his cabin. On the Normandy. The new Normandy. He shook his head and swung is feet off the bed, elbows on his knees and head in his hands. No more sleep, he'd been asleep for two years. Standing up he looked back at the bed and shook his head, again marveling at Cerberus' odd ship design choices. Not only did he have an enormous cabin considering the size of the ship, they'd installed a queen sized bed in the thing. It was as if they'd hired the best ship engineers in the galaxy to build the rest of the frigate and then hired the interior designer from the Excellion luxury hotel chain to design the captain's cabin. Next thing he knew he was going to find a full service bar on the lower deck.

He checked the clock: 0500. If his estimate was correct they'd be at the colony within the next couple hours. A good a time as any to head down to the armory and see what kind of gear Cerberus was willing to spring for on this little mission. Pulling on his shirt, he found his way to the elevator, where a few blurry eyed jab or two finally resulted in a swift trip to the command deck. Most of the crew acknowledged him briefly but no one interfered with him. It was the last hour of night watch and the ship was mostly silent.

The door to the armory opened with the typical quiet hiss, revealing Jacob standing at the work station with a disassembled Avenger assault rifle in front of him. He looked like so many young Alliance soldiers he'd seen over the years. Hair kept close cropped just like his own, fit and eager, but Jacob's eyes didn't look quite the same. A little less gung-ho, a little more jaded. Shepard walked over to the nearby table, leaning back against it. "Didn't expect to find anyone here so early."

"No idea what we're going to to find when we reach Freedom's Progress. Better safe than sorry," Jacob replied. The upper assembly of the rifle slide back into place, locking into place with a firm 'click' sound. He continued to reassemble the weapon with methodical precision: stock slides in, optic locked on the rail, push the grip back until it seats, insert thermal magazine, remove, check, clear. He clearly knows what he's doing at least. Setting the gun down he turned to face Shepard, standing up a little straighter. "I could ask you the same thing, Commander. But before that I did wanted to say that its an honor to be serving with you, sir."

"You can drop the formalities, Jacob, this isn't an Alliance boat," he said, then smiled ruefully. "Heck, even when it was I wasn't so good with formalities. If I was Joker would've been in a brig not flying the damn ship."

The younger man laughed, seeming to relax a little. "He is... eccentric."

"No doubt, but he's also the best damn pilot I've ever seen. Tell me a little about yourself, Jacob. I'm not entirely sold on this Cerberus thing, but you've been straight with me so far."

"You're not the only one that isn't sold, but as long as they keep doing what needs doing and don't start trying to play me, I'll stick with them. That's always been the terms of my deal with the Illusive Man," he explained, continuing as Shepard nodded. "As you already figured, I was Alliance too, like a bunch of the crew of this ship. After you died, though... you know you were the Alliance poster boy for about 6 months before they replaced you with a composite image?"

"It's always great to be appreciated as a marketing tool," he said dryly.

"Heh, yea. Apparently even the Hero of the Citadel wasn't enough of a 'perfect human' for them," Jacob said. "Eventually I became a Corsair, disavow all knowledge, black budget kind of projects. But even there there was so much red tape and politics. I got reprimanded a few too many times and caught the Illusive Man's eye, he convinced me I could do more good working outside the rules, so here I am."

"I can't fault your logic there. Either way, I'm going to be counting on you to watch my back when we hit the ground. So far everything I've seen tells me I can trust you, I hope it stays that way. Which brings me to my original reason for coming down here. I don't seem to own anything anymore, and that includes certain handy things, like guns and armor," Shepard said, gesturing to the racks lined with weapons.

"Don't worry, Commander, your trust is well placed. As for gear well..." Jacob trailed off, a smirk on his face. He walked over to one of the larger lockers and tapped in a code, the door jumping slightly as a pressure seal released. He swung the door open to reveal a suit of heavy combat armor, though it certainly didn't resemble any Shepard had seen before. It looked like it was made of polished steel, given a matte finish, with a dark gray under lining of ballistic cloth. Two ridged pauldrons made with overlapping plates protected his shoulders and neck without reducing range of motion, while the suit was topped off with a fully enclosed helmet with re-breather and armored faceplate. The only thing breaking up the steel and gray was the faint ruby glow of the helmet's visor and a splash of crimson that went from the left shoulder to the left chest, transforming into a stylized dragon.

"What... in the hell?"

"Top of the line, Shepard. Straight from the best Urban Combat League club in the galaxy. This thing has seen more combat and testing than any piece of armor issued by the Alliance brass. It's a full kilo lighter than the old N7 armor you wore, provides twenty-seven percent better protect to vital areas, and even comes prewired for full integration of biotic amps, omni-tools, and anything else you could want," he explained. "Since you're not Alliance military anymore it didn't seem appropriate to go 'requisitioning' N7 armor for you, and I kind of guessed that you might not be too thrilled about suiting up in full Cerberus style. The Illusive Man apparently agreed. Next thing I know this beauty was in the armor locker."

The soldier walked over to one of the weapon racks and unlatched it, quickly setting three weapons on the table. He checked the thermal magazine and slid a pistol across the table to Shepard. "I was briefed on your preferred load outs and picked up some stuff I think you'll like. Two years doesn't seem like long, but we've still made some weapon advancements. Carnifex heavy pistol, Tempest submachine gun, and old reliable: the Mantis sniper rifle."

Shepard picked up the Carnifex, testing the weight. It was heavier than his old side arm. He set it down, quickly examining the submachine gun and finally stopping at the Mantis. He picked up the gun, tapping the side, causing it to extend and activate. Jacob nodded towards the pistol. "Consider that the junior version of your rifle. Twice the stopping power of the old Alliance standard issue side arm. You only get six shots per mag but if you need more than that you've got a problem."

He chuckled, deactivated the sniper rifle and setting it down. "I think we're going to get along just fine, Jacob. Now let's see about that armor..."

"Well, I see Jacob has gotten you full equipped," Miranda stated, looking him up and down as she approached the CIC. It hadn't taken long to strap in, Jacob had been correct: the armor was lighter and more flexible than his old. It would seem The Illusive Man had planned for all contingencies because the suit was clearly tailored and fit like a second skin. The pistol rested easily at his hip, rifle and submachine gun on his back. He gripped the helmet in one hand, awaiting the last member of their team. Joker had even hobbled out of the cockpit to take a look as they began the final approach before the autopilot disengaged. He whistled as he approached.

"Holy crap, sir. You look like you're about to go storm the Batarian homeworld all by yourself. Where does Cerberus find this stuff? Bad Ass R Us?"

Miranda ignored him and motioned towards the elevator. "Come on, Jacob is waiting for us in the shuttle bay. Let's get down to the colony and see what's going on."

He stopped in his tracks, blinking as she headed towards the elevator. "You're kidding, right?"

"About what, Shepard?" she asked, exasperation clear in her voice. He paused, arching an eyebrow and giving her a slow once over. She still looked at him rather blankly and he sighed.

"We're about to go to investigate a colony that's gone dark, at night, with no idea what we're going to encounter. And you're wearing the same... well-fitted uniform and a side arm?"

"Yes, is there a problem with that?"

"Yea, we call it armor and helmets, keeps people alive a great deal longer when the shooting starts. Or did you think I put this on just because I wanted to look like something out of one of Joker's action vid fantasies?" he asked.

"Hey!"

"Joker, just get us close so we can get planet side ASAP. As for the armor... it's your funeral, Miranda. Once this is over if we're going to keep this up we've got to talk about appropriate hostile condition gear," he sighed and nodded for her to continue to the elevators. Miranda merely rolled her eyes and proceeded him. A long, slightly awkward elevator ride later found them in the cargo bay, Jacob standing with one foot on the side of the shuttle. Shepard simply jerked his hand in a gesture to load up. Miranda took the controls, piloting the shuttle out of the Normandy and making a smooth transition to the planet's surface. No ground control contacted them or requested identification, nor did he see any movement on the ride in. The shuttle touched town and the doors opened onto a lifeless space port.

"Well, that's a little creepy," Jacob muttered. All the lights were on, generators hummed steadily. No bodies, no blast marks or even an overturned crate or transmitted warning.

"Stay sharp," Shepard ordered, drawing the heavy pistol. They moved from building to building, rarely were the doors even locked. Food sat out, cold now but not even starting to spoil. A few vid-players and extranet connections were even still active, sitting idle. Finally Miranda's omni-tool beeped, immediately followed by his own.

"We've got movement."

"Get down," he ordered. A second later half a dozen drones zoomed over head. As soon as they identified the team they immediately opened fire. "On second thought, drop them."

Security drones weren't meant for sustained combat. They were meant for recon and light security, quickly falling apart under his sustained fire and a little bit of technical expertise. The team moved more cautiously now, weapons readied. But still all they encountered were a few more drones and a handful of security mechs, the same model as back on the Cerberus station. It made no sense. They hadn't seen any evidence of the colonists or any sort of conflict, yet these machines were all doing their best to kill anything that moved. As they moved to check another building, Miranda hissed.

"Commander. Got something, heat signatures, faint ones. Not mechs, but other than that I can't tell you what."

"Understood. I've got point. Miranda you take the left side of the room, Jacob you have the right. Go!"

He had to admit, Cerberus or not, they were sharp. He hit the activation for the door, stepping into the room and dropping into a crouch. By the time he was in the room Miranda was crouched at the entrance, covering the left, while Jacob and rolled in behind him at the right. Quick and smooth, he brought up the gun just as the rooms occupants noticed him and turned. Of the many possibilities he had considered, the half dozen or so quarians now facing them with weapons drawn was not among them.

"Stand down!" he barked.

One of the quarians looked at Jacob and he could see the slight stiffening of his frame. As a people, Quarians were hard to read, but fortunately for him he'd spent enough time around one to at least pick up a thing or two. He shouted again. "I said hold! We're not here to fight."

"They're Cerberus!" the one that had stiffened said, aiming his rifle. "Kill them!"

"Wait!"

Shepard stiffened as if struck. It couldn't be. Not here, not after so long. The owner of the voice spoke again, echoing his own thoughts as she stepped around the first quarian. A pistol gripped tightly in her hand, petite form wrapped in the deep purple of an environment suit that was familiar, yet different at the same time. "That voice... it..."

He stood, lowering his gun. Not the wisest thing he'd ever done, but too late now. Unable to keep the surprise from his voice he spoke. "Tali'Zorah nar Rayya? Is that..."

The gun in her hand shook and her voice carried a strength and anger he'd not heard before. "Who the hell are you?"

"Tali..."

"Do not call me that!"

He paused and then reached up, unsnapping his helmet. Jacob spoke up. "Commander is this wise? I-"

"Shut up, Jacob," he said. His voice carried a steel that his new companions hadn't heard before, but was familiar to the old ones. Holstering his pistol he grabbed the helmet in both hands, bowed his head, and pulled it over his hands to expose his face. When he looked up it was with the barrel of a pistol inches from his face. The voice that emerged from her helmet was almost a scream.

"NO! It's... not possible. I s-saw you die. What the hell has Cerberus created? Was attacking the Flotilla not enough? Now you have to... to create a m-mockery? A monster?"

"It's me, Tali. It's really me. I was on the Normandy, Cerberus found me and... well basically put me back together."

She was shaking her head, gun shaking even more, but her voice had that new found steel again. "I should kill you now, put you out of your misery. I won't have you dishonor the memory of a great man."

"Was the data helpful in completing your Pilgrimage, Tali?" he asked softly. "Encrypted Alliance data, we agreed we'd not tell anyone else. That way they wouldn't ask where it came from and I wouldn't have to tell anyone how you got it."

"Everyone get out," Tali said, her voice wavering. The gun dipped slightly. One of the other quarians started to say something but was cut off as she turned her attention to Shepard's teammates. "Now! That means you Cerberus dogs too."

"Commander," Miranda said simply, taking a breath to say more before he raised a hand.

"You heard her. Out. You stay away from the quarians, they'll stay away from you. Weapons down unless more mechs show up," he said. When he heard the intake of breath again behind him he held up his hand and slowly balled it into a fist. "I swear to whatever god there may be, Miranda, either leave this room now or I'll send the Illusive Man's favorite operative back to him in a box."

There was a long pause, but he didn't look back. He heard Jacob mutter something and then the door hissed once more, leaving them alone. Tali finally spoke. "S-Shepard is it... tell me I'm not losing it. A bad air filter. Maybe I-I got a suit puncture, infection... and... Keelah, your face, Shepard..."

"It's me... or what's left of me. It's the truth, Tali. Cerberus spent billions of credits and I spent two years... asleep. I'm just glad you made it out alright."

"Keelah, Shepard!" she exclaimed and then he found her arms around him in a hug. She shook lightly and Shepard realized she was crying. He just stood there for a moment, a little shocked, before putting an arm around her shoulders. At that she jerked away, apparently realizing what she was doing. She shook her head and seemed to steady herself once more. This wasn't the same Tali he'd taken across the galaxy to hunt Saren, not completely. The old Tali hadn't had that iron in her voice, just the enthusiasm. The nervousness was still there, but the last two years had definitely changed her.

"S-Sorry. Alright? Shepard, losing you destroyed us. They... they ignored our warnings, patted us on the head told us to go about our business. If not for Garrus they'd have probably tried to arrest me or throw me off the station once you weren't around anymore. Liara disappeared, I don't think Wrex even heard what happened... we don't get as much current news on the Flotilla, but after I returned I heard Garrus eventually went missing too. The last time I saw Joker he was drunk and yelling about how he was grounded. And now I find you here, alive, and working with Cerberus?"

His eyes darkened at her words. More than just Tali had changed, and he didn't like it. "I didn't know. Hell, I don't know anything. I woke up yesterday, Tali. The last thing I remember before then was... never mind. Look, I wish I had time to explain it all, but Cerberus is investigating the disappearances of the human colonies, something the Alliance and the Council are apparently refusing to do. I might not like them, but I need their help. Not to mention if not for them I wouldn't be here now."

"My team came here looking for a young Quarian that was on Pilgrimage named Veetor. He dropped out of contact after sending a distress call and we arrived to find this planet lifeless," Tali explained. "My only guess is that the mechs could be his doing, Veetor was a talented hacker."

"Then why don't we work together? I know you don't trust Cerberus, but can you at least trust me to keep them in line?" he asked.

"You, yes. Them, no. But you are right, the sooner we find him the better."

"Good," Shepard nodded and then a faint smile crossed his face. "Your team, by the way?"

She coughed and her hands touched, wringing for a moment before she consciously separated them. "Ah, yes. Apparently being the daughter of an Admiral and coming back from my Pilgrimage with such a gift meant it was time for me to be in charge of things once I had... recovered from the destruction of the Normandy."

"I'm proud to hear it."

"Oh and Shepard?"

"Yes?"

"It's good to have you back... and it's Tali'Zorah vas Neema, now."

He laughed, the first happy sound he had likely made since his 'resurrection'. "It's good to be back, which I think is the first time I can honestly say I've thought that. Lead the way, Miss Vas Neema."

* * *

"_Bosh'tet_!" came over the comms some twenty minutes later. They had spread out, searching for the missing Quarian and any clues to the colony's disappearance. The other quarians weren't thrilled with Tali's decision and Miranda looked like she'd just taken a bite of raw varren, but at least Jacob had simply buckled down, nodded, and did as he was told. A few FENRIS mechs and other security features had continued to impede them, but only slightly.

"Shepard. Prazza wouldn't listen to me, he's determined to find Veetor before you do. He's charged ahead and... oh no! Veetor must have hacked one of the heavy mechs! Prazza doesn't have the firepower or the skill to deal with that kind of threat."

"We're on our way, send your coordinates to my omni-tool and keep your head down!" Shepard said, abandoning their careful search for a full run. "Let's move you two!"

They rounded a corner to see one of the quarians fall, nearly cut in half by the heavy mech's machine gun. He pointed each of his teammates in opposite directions, flanking the machine. Another one of the quarians barely made it behind a heavy crate before the gun roared again, heavy rounds quickly chewing into the cover. "Miranda, try to overload its shielding, Jacob, I want to you hit it with whatever you've got, just keep its attention and then keep yourself alive. This has got to be fast and hard."

He pulled out the Mantis, extending the longarm then producing the submachine gun as well. With his left hand he pointed at the mech and fired off a long burst, the rounds spattering with minimal effect against the heavy shielding. He let go with another burst. "Hey, over here, tin man!

The mech turned its attention from the quarian to the running human. It's other arm extended and opened like a pale white flower... and then a rocket streaked through the air towards him. "Shit."

Another burst from the SMG before he dropped it, running with all he had to dropped and slide on his back like a baseball player sliding home, the impact of the rocket behind him pushing him a little farther.

They did not have those two years ago. He rolled to his feet, only a little stunned thanks to his armor. Miranda emerged from cover, a small electrical charge leaping at the mech as its shields flared brightly. A burst from her own SMG and they shattered. Before it could bring its weapons to bear on her a heavy crate came from the other side, knocking it off balance, followed by the loud report of a heavy pistol. The slugs chewed deep into its armor.

"He wasn't kidding about that Carnifex," Shepard muttered, bringing the Mantis up and sighting through the scope. The mech turned its attention to Jacob, moving to bring its arms to fire on him. He smiled and dropped the crosshair over the joint of its arm. "Let's see how you like it..."

When the arm opened again to fire, his shot rang out, the blue strike punching right through the exposed elbow joint and the hydraulics there. Instead of sending a rocket at Jacob, the mechs arm dropped straight down by its side, blasting the explosive into its own feet, triggering its remaining two rockets in a chain reaction that tore the thing apart. He did a quick once over of the area, but saw no other mechs, motioning for the others to regroup Shepard ran over to where he saw Tali dragging one of the wounded into a nearby building.

"Prazza's dead," she said as she entered. "At least he had the courage to delay the thing so the rest of his squad could escape his folly. I'll take care of the wounded here, find Veetor. He must but in the dock control center if he has access to the heavy mechs."

He nodded. The group moved out, double timing it to the control center. There, inside, was a lone quarian sitting at the control panel and muttering to himself. "Won't find me, can't let them. Took everyone away."

"Veetor."

"Monsters. Monsters took everyone. Will take me. They'll come back. Not safe... not safe."

Shepard tapped his omni-tool and the screens the man was looking at went dark. "Veetor, you're safe now. We're not here to hurt you. Tell me what happened here."

"The monsters came... they took everyone away. I took many scans. But they'll be back. Take me to... not safe."

All the time he was talking, Veetor was taping at his own omni-tool. Some of the screens activated again, showing disturbing scenes. Strange aliens with large, angular heads and multiple, glowing eyes were collecting colonists and placing them into pods. They seem to be completely paralyzed, no resistance at all. The things seemed to be completely covered in chitin and sinew. He heard a gasp from Miranda. "Collectors..."

"Whats?"

"Collectors, they're a race from beyond the Omega-4 relay... advanced technology but rarely seen."

"Shepard! You found Veetor," Tali said as she entered the room, walking up to the disturbed quarian. She glanced up at the monitors and started. "What... happened here?"

The commander frowned. "They harvested this colony like a field they'd planted. Not even a fight or an invasion. Just a casual pick up."

"Commander we have to get this information back to the Normandy and to Cerberus. We know who is responsible, now we need a plan of action," Miranda said. "The quarian saw them in action, possibly his environment suit hid him from whatever method they used to track down the colonists. We should bring him back to the ship to find out what he knows."

"What? No! Can't you see he's sick? He needs medical attention, not a Cerberus interrogation!" Tali snapped.

"Ma'am, he'll be returned unharmed-" Jacob began before he was cut off.

"No! I know how you treat quarians, Cerberus," she responded, her voice filled with far more venom than he had ever heard from Tali in the entire time they'd been hunting Saren. She turned to him. "Shepard... please. We both know if you want to take him my team and I can't stop you. But... he needs help and..."

Shepard raised a hand. "The quarian goes with Tali. He's a member of the Migrant Fleet, I don't intend to start my first day back alive kidnapping people, especially from friends. Just send us the data on his omni-tool and we'll use that to see what we're up against."

This time Miranda didn't bother trying to argue. She could learn at least, that was a plus. He stepped closer to Tali. "I have a new mission now, Tali. One that I'm going to need people I can trust for..."

"I... I wish I could, Shepard. But I have responsibilities of my own now. I have to get Veetor back to the Fleet and report what's happened here. If it was just myself, like when we first met..."

He smiled sadly. "I understand. Get your people home, Tali. It was... good to see someone I could trust again, even if it wasn't for long."

"Keelah se'lai, Shepard."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Chain of Command

Shepard stepped out of the briefing room and back onto the CIC. The Illusive Man had already suspected what they had found, but had been smugly pleased all the same. While they seemed to be on the same side, it was clear that the elder manipulator didn't consider this nearly as much of an equal partnership as he claimed. Still, he'd provided further information and support that he couldn't ignore. The Illusive Man wanted him to build a team, the best of the best to take the fight to the enemy. Where brute force and numbers wouldn't serve, they would instead use precision and supremacy of skill. He tried to feel inspired, but could only manage restrained impatience. Seeing Tali on Freedom's Progress had only reminded him of what he had lost, the camaraderie of his team, the lives of good men and women on board the original Normandy, and even his own life, replaced with whatever he'd become now. Whatever the result he was determined that he'd forge his own way from here, despite whatever tricks the Illusive Man might pull.

He stood for a long time on the CIC, hands braced on the railing of the platform overlooking the star map, but seeing nothing. Kelly, his new assistant, had looked at him nervously a few times but wisely said nothing. After a few long minutes he sighed and turned, glancing down at Kelly. "Tell Miranda and Jacob to meet me in the briefing room in five minutes."

"Of course, Commander."

Right on time, Miranda walked into the room, immediately followed by Jacob. Shepard sat at the head of the long table, fingers steepled as he watched them both enter. The trio waited for a moment before Miranda finally spoke. "Appearing as requested, Commander."

"Good," he said, leaning back slightly in his chair. "The Illusive Man has given me a number of dossiers on some unique individuals, potential recruits. Now that we know what we're up against we need to build a team that can take the fight to our enemy's doorstep and have a chance of victory. To do that we're going to need the best. The best engineers, the best scientists... the best killers."

"I received the same documents. I'd recommend our first stop be Omega. Dr. Mordin Solus looks like he could be one of the most gifted minds in this galaxy and we'll need someone like that to develop something to counter act the Collector's technology," Miranda said.

"For once since I woke up we seem to be in agreement."

The woman frowned slightly. "Whatever you may think, we're on the same side here, Shepard. I might be the Illusive Man's main representative on this ship but we are here to help you."

"Good, because I'm not going to have this discussion again," Shepard said, standing now and placing his hands on the table. He looked first to Jacob and then to Miranda, meeting each of their eyes in turn. "From this point on, you need to understand that the Normandy is my ship and my command. There may be a Cerberus insignia stamped on the hull, but we do things my way."

He continued, looking pointedly at Miranda. "I don't know what you did to the quarians that made them hate you, but I'm fairly certain it is deserved. I have always tried to command by giving people the leeway to follow their own best judgement, but I will not have my orders second guessed on the ground. If you try to undermine myself or my decisions for the 'good' of Cerberus I'll throw you in the airlock and see if the Illusive Man has enough bugs and fail safes on this ship to save you before I hit 'cycle'."

"Sir," Jacob replied in simple acknowledgment.

"If someone has an idea or solution, I want to hear it. But I neither need nor will tolerate a 'handler'. Are we perfectly clear?"

Miranda looked less than happy but finally agreed, while Jacob merely nodded. "Understood, Commander."

"Good. Jacob, please find Miranda a suitable set of combat gear for the next time we drop into a warzone. Miranda, tell Joker to plot a course for Omega. We have a team to build."

* * *

"So this is Omega?" Shepard asked no one in particular. The stained walkway and refuse that seemed to litter the corners made him suddenly glad he had opted to wear the helmet. Not far ahead a batarian stood with two more at his back, all visibly armed. Shepard had never been terribly fond of batarians, even with his generally accepting nature when it came to aliens. They were actually one of the most human looking of the races he'd encountered, save for the rough green skin and set of four eyes, one on top of the other. But they were typically associated with the slave trade, an ingrained part of their culture even supported by their own government, making them one of the least popular of the non-Council races.

"Shepard. Welcome to Omega. Aria wants to see you."

"Up and about for a few days and I'm already getting welcoming parties?" Shepard said drolly. "I'm not here to cause any problems, I just have a few people to pick up."

"I don't care if you're here to pick up a shipment of... what are those human pets? Kittens. Things blow up around you, Shepard. She wants to see you, and what Aria wants, Aria gets," the man said, punctuating the 'you' with a finger jabbed at Shepard's chest. For a brief moment a scene flashed through his mind. Grab the wrist, pull forward and twist to the outside, move in with shoulder to knock him into the other Batarian on the left, draw pistol with right hand, two in the chest of the thug on the right. Let go of wrist while shoving him away, right elbow to face, fire into remaining thug on the left. Last two in the leader's chest.

The former Spectre shook his head, dispelling the sudden burst of anger. He gritted his teeth and gestured towards the door instead. "Then lead on. I wouldn't want to keep Omega's royalty waiting."

They had begun to turn to head towards the exit when a man yelled, loud and clear. "Shepard, stop that god damn batarian!"

A panicked looking batarian in dirty clothes and holding a cheap looking Kesseler autopistol was running at him full tilt. Reacting out of pure instinct he stepped forward and snapped an arm out, catching the man with a clothesline that took him off his feet. He hit the floor with a heavy 'thump' and a loud groan.

"Ha! Nice work. I'd have had to of shot him otherwise," the pursuer said. He was a human, heavily scarred with faintly graying hair, cropped close. A scratched but obviously well-maintained Vindicator assault rifle hung from a sling at his shoulder. The sardonic smile on his face didn't reach one of his eyes, the off white orb clearly a cybernetic replacement. "Glad I guessed right."

"How does everyone know me on this station? I've been here for less than ten minutes," Shepard asked incredulously, glancing back at this two companions. Even Miranda could only offer a shrug.

"I don't know you, like I said, I guessed. Even in Omega there aren't too many people that carry around a Mark XVI grenade launcher. Plus the way you carry yourself, soldier's instincts," the man explained. The fallen batarian tried to push himself up only to receive a swift kick to the side for his trouble. "Zaeed Massani, at your service. We have a... mutually illusive acquaintance that invested a great deal of credits to secure my services. Thought you could use some additional firepower, I suppose."

"I'll be damned. Massani. I always wondered if we might cross paths... I suspected a much less friendly meeting, though. Figures the... contact wouldn't have bothered to mention it was you specifically we were adding to the crew," Shepard replied after taking a few moments to process the new information. He extended a hand that the other man grasped firmly. Zaeed Massani was possibly the single most well known and feared bounty hunter and mercenary in the Terminus systems and beyond. He had a reputation for coming out alive despite improbable odds and never having broken a contract.

"Hey, you've got a meeting with Aria to attend. I'm not here to watch you-"

Zaeed's assault rifle was up and under the batarian's chin almost faster than even Shepard could track. "Shut it, Grex. Aria can wait for me to finish a conversation... unless you want to push the matter."

A very audible gulp came from the batarian and he stepped back, hands out and away from his weapons. Zaeed smirked before turning his attention back to Shepard. "Better. I wondered the same thing, Shepard, you got a fair bit of press for some of the stunts you pulled. Dropping that turian SOB Saren in the heart of the Citadel, though, that was a piece of work. Glad to see rumors of your death were greatly exaggerated. I need to run in this piece of trash to complete my last contract and then I'll report to your ship."

"Good to have you on the team, Zaeed. The Normandy is docked just down the way, Mrs. Lawson will send authorization for you to board."

Zaeed hauled his captive to his feet and tossed Shepard a lazy salute. Grex cleared his throat, suddenly much more polite. Amazing what the right reputation and threat of excessive physical violence would do for manners, even on a place as rough as Omega. A faint smirk crept onto his face. He could see where having Massani along would be useful.

Shepard made an open gesture with his hands. "Lead on."

The walk to Aria's club and base of operations did little to endear Omega to him. Mercenaries wandered its rusty corridors toting weapons that would have been at home in an Alliance shocktrooper squad while drug dealers openly peddled their wares on the street. Addicts and beggars watched furtively from corners but gave his party a wide berth. No one wanted to impede Aria's enforcers. When they arrived they marched straight past a long line of what passed for Omega's high society, lined up trying to get into the club. He was amused to note the Elcor bouncer, his race's dull monotone likely all the more infuriating to impatient clubbers.

A few moments later the large doors to the main club floor swung open, the deep thrumming bass of the music and sound of the crowd washing over them like a wave. The crowd dutifully parted for Aria's men, making it a simple process to make their way across the floor. Heading up the large staircase, Shepard found himself in a room overlooking the entire club. An asari in skin tight leathers looked out like a ruler over her subjects. A turian stepped up with a hand held scanner, running it up and down his body.

"If you're looking for weapons I think you need to hire new help."

She gave a low, throaty laugh as the turian gave an all clear. "Weapons aren't a problem, but that could be anyone wearing your face."

"Aria, I presume?"

"Indeed. Come take a seat," she said, turning from the view to settle herself into a plush chair. "What can I do for you while you're on my station, Commander Shepard?"

"One scan and we're down to business?" he asked before popping the latches on his helmet, removing it and resting it on his knee as he took a seat.

"Indeed. Information is my business, I already know what I need to know about you. I know you're dangerous and I know you have a powerful backing," she stated simply, glancing over at his two companions. "There is only one rule on Omega, Shepard: Don't fuck with Aria. Keep to that and our relationship will continue to be cordial."

"I like it, easy to remember," he said with a snort. "I'm here looking for a couple people. Dr. Mordin Solus and a merc called Archangel."

"Can't settle for just picking up a hard luck dancing girl for fun, can you?" Aria said, a sly smirk on her face. She reached for a thin stemmed glass, drinking it to her lips and taking a sip. "Solus you'll find in one of the lower wards, there's been a rash of illness so I've had the area locked down to reduce a risk of something nasty spreading. As for Archangel... well, you might be somewhat late for that party."

"What do you mean?"

She laughed. "I mean that man has managed to piss off every major merc group on Omega. They've got him holed up in one of the industrial areas, apparently he's a tough nut to crack. The Blue Suns have been hiring anyone that can hold a gun as cannon fodder for their assault on him. Have to admire the man for his tenacity, if not for his judgement. Even more now that he's apparently managed to piss off a dead Spectre too."

"Oh, I don't want to kill him," Shepard said. He grinned wickedly when Aria arched an eyebrow at him. "I want to recruit him."

* * *

It hadn't take much convincing for the Blue Suns recruiter to let them sign on. Of the dozens waiting, they were the only ones that seemed equipped with military grade weapons and armor, or like they'd even seen a real firefight in their lives. He'd even 'dissuaded' a particularly young human from joining up by cracking the housing of his recently purchased pistol in an iron grip. Either the gun was extremely cheap or Cerberus' cybernetics were better than he thought.

When they arrived at their destination the merc at the waiting bay greeted them with disinterest until he noticed their weapons and armor.

"Finally they send me someone that looks like they can fight," he said, pointing them down the hall. "Hurry up and report to the Sergeant, they're about to make the final push so the infiltration team can get in there and take the bastard out."

He gave a nod and started to jog down the path. Occasionally he'd hear the staccato burst of an assault rifle or the more thunderous report of a sniper rifle... a Mantis by the sound of it, just like the one on his back. The ship's AI's voice suddenly spoke into his headset. He jumped slightly, forgetting that Jacob had told him the ship would be able to directly relay information to his personal comms thanks to the armor's sophisticated electronics.

"Commander, the mercenaries' assessment of this position is surprisingly through, I have been able to find no other exit points. You will have to exit the area via the same path that you entered."

"In other words even if we get in, we're going to be stuck in the same position as Archangel."

"Correct. Scans have detected numerous soldiers from three separate mercenary companies, as well as significant mech support," EDI explained.

"We have to get in there soon either way or we won't have an Archangel to recruit. Let's see if we can't level the playing field before we go in, though," Shepard said. "Miranda, see if you can't mess with those mechs. Jacob, stash a few presents around so we can get their attention if we need to make a run for it."

The two nodded and peeled off. For his part, he tried to mingle briefly with a few of the mercenaries, looking for any useful intel. Whomever this Archangel was he had really pissed these guys off. They didn't just want the problem gone, they wanted blood. He had apparently been hitting them for months, disrupting their illicit activities, killing their troops, and generally making life a living hell for anyone that wore their colors. He'd get different snippets of information from each one, but it all added up to the same picture. Whomever Archangel was, Shepard liked him for screwing up the lives of this bunch of cut-throats, slavers, and general psychopaths. By the time he'd made it to the sergeant, the other two had joined him, falling into step beside him.

"They've got a heavy mech in there. Will be in for quite a surprise if they activate it, though," Miranda said.

Jacob passed him a small remote. "Three HE grenades, all keyed to the same remote. Won't bring the building down, but they'll worry about it for a minute before they figure that out."

He simply nodded, speaking up as they approached a batarian working on a gunship. "Cathka?"

"Sergeant Cathka," he said, flipping up his visor.

"Right. We were hired on to help take out Archangel, told to report to you. If you guys have a gunship why aren't you using it?"

"Ug, more freelancers. We'll use this thing in good time, I'm just putting the finishing touches on the repairs. Archangel banged it up with a damn sniper rifle, but she'll be in the air again soon. And when she is she'll take that blue-blooded bastard apart," he explained. "He's been screwing with our operations for months. An entire shipment of slaves to the Hegemony lost, half a dozen shipments of red sand up in flames..."

At that moment the sound of gunfire had intensified, longer bursts and a few detonations rang in the air. "Looks like they've started the assault! Get your asses out there!"

The last the of the mercenaries double timed it out of the room, checking weapons as they ran. As soon as the last of them had cleared the room, the batarian looked at Shepard with annoyance. "What the hell are you waiting for?"

"This," Shepard said, drawing his pistol and pumping a single round into the sergeant. Even Miranda and Jacob seemed momentarily surprised by the suddenness of it, but said nothing. "Let's get out there before these idiots swarm Archangel to death."

As soon as they were over the barricade it became clear why Archangel had been such a difficult nut to crack. The bridge was a killing field, with the bodies of a dozen dead mercs scattered about, others falling as they were picked off by precision fire. Jacob rolled behind a heavy metal crate as shots ricocheted wildly. He glanced between his two squadmates, crouching in cover. Another round took a chunk out of the stone barricade he was ducking behind.

"Commander, he's going to kill us before we can rescue him at this rate," Jacob shouted of the din as a dozen more men leapt over the barricade, firing wildly.

"Then why don't we show him whose side we're on?"

Jacob looked confused for a moment before nodding with a smile of understanding on his face. Drawing the submachine gun with his left hand, Shepard rolled from behind the barricade and opened fire... directly into the two nearest mercs. A second later Jacob stood and emptied his shotgun into the back of another mercenary, the grenade launcher she had been carrying clattering to the ground. Panicked cries of confusion went up through the ranks as Shepard yelled. "Let's move, people!"

They bolted for the structure, one of the mercenaries caught on, but only in time to go flying off the bridge as Miranda unleashed her biotics. Apparently not one to complain about unexpected help, Archangel's sniper rifle continued to sing its steady song of death, firing over their heads now to drop the mercs that were coming behind them. He staggered forward as a round impacted him in the back, but his shields and armor held. A few more chaotic meters, occasionally snapping off a flurry of fire behind them, and they had made it into the building. Needless to say the infiltration team was taken completely by surprise. Quietly creeping up the rear steps to Archangel's level, they never stood a chance when all three of his team opened up.

"What the hell?"

"Contacts rear! Contacts re-"

Shepard shoved the last mercenary out of the way as he collapsed, reaching the next floor. Motioning his teammates forward, Shepard rounded the corner to where Archangel had made his sniper's nest, both guns pointed straight ahead. Sitting on a stack of crates was a Turian in full combat armor of a pure, deep blue. He held up one three fingered hand to them and continued to sight down his scope. A moment later the weapon jerked and he heard a muffled yell as the last of the 'distraction' wave collapsed in a pool of blood. Finally he raised the rifle, turning to face the newcomers. The turian reached up and popped the seal on his helmet, a faint hiss filling the sudden silence. When he tossed it aside and spoke, Shepard barely contained a very unbecoming sound of elation.

"Garrus?"

The turian cocked his head, eyes narrowed. "How do you know that name?"

"I doubt it's one I could ever forget," Shepard grinned, reaching up to remove his helmet. "What did Tali call you whenever you were picking on her? Her 'Big blue armored bosh'tet'? Never did find out exactly what bosh'tet meant."

"By the spirits..." Garrus said, sounding slightly strangled. A moment of suspiciousness flashed in his eyes, but at Shepard's words the spark of recognition quickly overrode it. The turian stalked across the room with such speed that his two Cerberus companion's nearly raised their weapons again. He grabbed the human in a back slapping hug that nearly lifted Shepard off his feet.

"You son of a bitch! I should have known! Who else would pull off a stunt like that on the bridge... but how the hell are you alive? I watched the Normandy burn... I was at your damn funeral!"

The turian struck his chest at the word funeral with one armored fist.

"It's a long story, Garrus. Let's just say I got put back together at great expense of time and credits. I've been out for the last two years."

His old friend smiled wickedly.

"Hell, Shepard... you come back from the dead and this is how you spend your time? And what happened to your face? I know two years is a long time but what did you try to do... mate with a varren?"

He barked a laugh. "I'm told it's supposed to heal on its own. Apparently I'm not quite standard issue anymore, based on what they had to do to get me field ready again."

Garrus' mandibles curled into the turian equivalent of a smile. "You were never quite standard issue, I think."

"You know, the reunion is wonderful, but I think we're about to have company," Miranda interjected. Behind her the sound of a plasma torch could be heard, burning away at one of the lower doors, even as more mercenary soldiers peered over the barricade carefully, surveying the carnage of their early attempt. "And our cunning plan has put us in roughly the same position you started as Archangel."

He nodded and sighed, a grimness coming over his features Shepard hadn't remembered before. "Yea, the rest of my team is gone. With four of us, though, I think we can hold out quite awhile longer as long as we can break this next wave. Wait for them to get sloppy and maybe we can find a way out."

Jacob glanced over the railing. "They're going to be coming in downstairs pretty damn soon, Commander."

"There are armored shutters down there, they must have overridden them to get in. If you can manually close them again, that'll slow them down considerably," Garrus said.

"It won't slow them down, though," Miranda said, jerking her head towards the barricade. Moving to the railing he looked down at the room below and then back over to where the Eclipse mercs were trying to work up the courage to charge again. Shepard made a quick decision.

"Miranda, take Jacob. Lock those shutters down."

"And leave the two of you up here alone? Those aren't inexperienced guns with substandard hardware down there anymore."

He merely arched an eyebrow at the woman until she sighed and checked the magazine on her SMG. "Going, Commander. Come on Jacob, let's lock this place down before these two get themselves killed."

Shepard unslung and extended his sniper rifle, dropping into a crouch against the low wall that overlooked the bridge. "Think you can still keep up, Garrus?"

"Ha! I've learned a thing or two since you've been napping, Shepard," he replied, taking up his position from before. It wasn't long before the mercs finally worked up the nerve and came pouring over the barricade. Almost as one they both fired, a Salarian dropped like a stone without even taking a shot while a human merc staggered, his finger still on the trigger, spraying his squadmates with fire as he fell. Where alone the dreaded Archangel had kept the enemy away with precision shooting and a healthy does of fear, the two of them working together were nothing short of devastating. They slipped into old habits easily, the first of the heavily shielded mercenary sergeants didn't even know what had hit him when the first round slammed into him, collapsing his shields, with a second round following a split second later to punch right through his face plate.

"You're right, you have gotten better."

"And you haven't gotten any worse," Garrus muttered, jerking slightly as he fired another shot. "I've spent the last two years doing this non-stop, at least that's what it feels like. You take two years off and don't miss a beat? Nice way to make a guy feel inadequate, Boss."

He smiled at the old nickname and sighted down his own scope. Exhale. Fire. Garrus was right, it was like he'd never stopped. That might be even more disturbing, when he sat and thought about it. He'd spent the last two years dead. But it didn't feel like two years, it simultaneously felt like yesterday and forever. One of the mercenary leaders had vaulted over the barricade, pouring fire into their position with a light machine gun. He indicated a compressed gas canister near the end of the bridge which a click of his teeth and a quick gesture, to which Garrus responded with a nod. When the salarian got close he pumped a round into the canister, causing it to explode violently and sent the merc staggering back. A final shot rang out and the salarian slumped over, dead.

"Yes!" Garrus hissed. "I've been after that bastard for months."

He shook his head and reloaded. "How did you manage to piss off every merc group in Omega, anyways?"

"Guess it was my charming personality," the turian said dryly. He paused for a few moments, scanning the area below before glancing over at his former Commander and elaborating.

"After you... died, I tried to become a Spectre, just like we'd discussed. Went through the training and everything... but the Council blocked my application. Said I was too personally involved in ongoing matters to be objective enough to serve as a Spectre. Between that and C-Secs ever increasing red tape I got fed up, came here. Not hard to find criminals here, just had to point my gun. We were really making a difference, Shepard. Which is why I guess a lot of good people are dead now and I spent the last day and a half stuck in this building alone pulling a... what was that human battle you told me about?"

"The Alamo?"

"Yea, pulling an Alamo. Have to say, you were the last person I was expecting to see again, at least until I hit the other side," he said with a smirk. Looking down his scope, the turian cursed. "Crap, they're bringing out the heavy mechs... that comparison might still be accurate, Shepard."

"Screw that. We never gave up before, I don't plan on starting now. Besides, just watch."

The turian looked at him and asked quizzically, like a parent demanding the truth from a child. "What did you do?"

He simply jerked his head towards the bridge. The mercenaries were yelling and pointing as the YMIR Heavy Mech powered up, its deadly arms raising... and then it stopped, turned on its heel, and unleashed hell on the soldiers behind it. Next to him, Garrus howled with laughter. The mercenaries scrambled like ants spilling from a hill that had just been kicked over as the deadly machine tore into them. A few moments later he heard footsteps coming up the stairs, turning to cover the approach but lowering his weapon when Miranda and Jacob stepped around the corner.

"They won't be coming that way, Commander," Jacob informed him.

"Good, these guys are in pretty bad shape. We should be-"

"Archangel! You think this is funny, you bastard? Well tell me how you like this!"

The Mantis gunship dropped in front of the window, unleashing a torrent of fire from its heavy machine guns as they all dove for cover. Seconds later half a dozen rockets slammed into the beleaguered building, sending dust and chunks of concrete showering the room. They each leaned out of cover briefly to respond with a fusillade of return fire, but most of it merely bit into the gunship's armor plating. Dropping his rifle, Shepard reached back and activated the grenade launcher he'd been carrying. "Give me some cover and I'll give him something to really worry about!"

"He'll cut you apart before you get the first shot off!"

"Well do you have a better idea, Garrus?"

"Yep," the turian replied, rolling out of cover and snatching up his assault rifle, he peppered the windscreen of the gunship with fire. "You want me, Tarak? Well come and get me!"

"God damn turian," Shepard growled, keeping low and moving to the right where he knew the armor would still be exposed. He raised the launcher and fired, the rocket propelled grenade slamming into the unprotected side and erupting in fire. The pilot howled over the loudspeakers in impotent rage, stabbing down on the triggers and sending fire pouring into the room. Garrus tried to roll out of the way but only partially succeeded, the trailing edge of the burst catching him on the right side and spinning him around like he was a toy. Dark blue blood splashed against the floor and he dropped like a stone even as the gunship fell out of the sky, exploding below them.

"Garrus!"

Jacob was already rolling him over by the time Shepard had reached his side. The damage was bad, the rounds had punched right through his armor and he was losing tremendous amounts of blood. He activated the comms and barked. "Joker! I want a medical team ready, we're bringing in wounded. Move the Normandy to the nearest docking port to our location!"

"Commander?"

"Do it, now!"

"Understood!"

"This is bad, Commander," Miranda said, trying to staunch the bleeding with a slap bandage and medi-gel.

"You're going to be alright, Garrus. Just stay with us. Jacob, grab the back of his armor, Miranda, get his legs. Whatever happens: get him back to the Normandy, double time."

Shepard reached into his armor and found the detonator, depressing the button and feeling the rumble as the grenades exploded, eliciting more screams from the remaining mercenaries. He grabbed the turian's assault rifle and headed down the stairs, opening fire at anything that raised its head.

"Let's get you home, buddy."


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Doctor's Orders

"Commander."

He jerked his head up, immediately at attention. Dr. Chakwas was standing a few feet away from him. Having her on board had been a great relief, both in having her expertise and having someone else he knew he could trust. He'd met her on the original Normandy, a kind woman in her fifties that could have passed for a decade younger if not for the steel gray of her hair that she showed no interest in changing. Aside from Joker she was the only person on board he truly felt he could count on. He starred at her for a moment, mind trying to catch up in his groggy state as the door opened once more and Jacob strolled in.

"Go get some rest, Commander," she prompted.

"I'll be fine. Just-"

"Doctor's orders. And to put your mind at rest, I just came from washing up. Garrus will make it. He lost a great deal of blood and we had to use some cybernetics to finish the job," she said, a wry smile on her features. "Some of the same ones in you, actually, as Cerberus provided them in the event that you were severely wounded and some of yours needed replacing. I didn't think you'd mind. It seems the two of you now share more than just an irreverent sense of humor and a blatant disregard for your own well-being."

"You made the right decision, Doctor," he replied. "If it keeps a member of this crew alive, you can use every piece you can find. Come down to it, I'll patch myself up with duct tape and medi-gel if that's what it takes."

"I should hope that won't be necessary."

Taking her leave with that final statement she gave Jacob a nod as she headed for the door. The young soldier chuckled. "Your turian friend is one tough SOB, Commander. He was already awake and trying to get up a few minutes after the surgery."

"He is a stubborn one," Shepard said, a tired smile crossing his features. He stood with a groan and clapped Jacob on the shoulder lightly before leaving the room and heading up to his cabin. His body protested every step, even as he was undoing the clasps on his armor. Garrus was going to pull through, one more member of the original crew that was alive, if not completely well. He could afford to rest now, for a little while at least. The heavy armor found its way to the floor of the cabin. He laid on the bed for a moment, idly thinking if his old sergeant could see his gear strewn about he'd be rolling in his grave. Sleep claimed him before he could convince himself to do anything about it.

* * *

The door to the main battery opened quietly, revealing the familiar blue armored form a turian at one of the consoles, idly reviewing information. When he turned Shepard could see the damage clearly. A heavy bandage covered the right side of his neck and part of his cheek, while the glint of cybernetics showed where his right mandible met his cheek. More scars were left on the exposed plates, faintly scorched and red. Something like a fist curled up inside his chest at the sight of it, his inner voice railing at how unfair it was. If anyone didn't deserve the hell they'd been living through it was his former crew. They'd accomplished the impossible and the universe seemed to have kicked them in the teeth for their audacity.

"They told me you'd taken up residence in here. Just had to play with the new toys as soon as Chakwas let you out, huh?"

"Yea, she read me the riot act but two days was enough. Staying there longer wasn't going to make me any prettier," Garrus said, his usual dry wit containing a hint of sadness. It quickly faded, however, when his mandibles curled in a smirk. "Works out, though. The women were always hitting on me and ignoring you. Only seemed fair to give you a chance, and with those new scars I figured jumping in front of a gunship was the quickest way to level the playing field."

Shepard snorted. "You were always ugly, Garrus. We just never had the heart to tell you."

"You say that now, but the waitresses at Flux sang a different tune."

"There's a reason they keep that place so dark," he said with a laugh, before taking a seat on one of the nearby crates, his expression sobering. "You going to tell me what happened down there?"

The turian leaned against the safety rail and sighed. He pause for a long while and Shepard kept quiet, letting him gather his thoughts. When he finally spoke, it was in a much quieter tone. "I had a team. Ten good men. We had been hitting the major criminal organizations for months, killing their men, taking their supplies. We'd free any slaves and torch the drugs, keep the credits and weapons to finance ourselves. I thought we were really doing good... and then I screwed it all up. I was betrayed by one of my people. The bastard lured me off on a fake job... by the time I figured out was going on, it was too late. Only two of my team were alive by the time I got back and they didn't last long after that."

"You couldn't have seen it coming, it's always the hardest when one of our own turns on us," Shepard said.

"I should have seen it, dammit!" Garrus growled, slamming the back of his fist into the wall. He glanced over to Shepard sheepishly. "Sorry."

"Don't be," he said, standing and laying a hand on the turian's shoulder. "I've got just the thing to help take the edge off if you think you're up to it. We have one more passenger to pick up on Omega, a Dr. Mordin Solus. Apparently his part of town has some sort of gang war going on between the Vorcha and whats left of the Blue Suns. Figure we can go in, clean house, extract the good Doctor Solus, and burn away from this hellhole at max speed."

"Oh, I'm up for it."

"Figured you would be," Shepard said with smile. "Let's go show these Cerberus types how we did it back in the day, huh?"

"Improvised, hectic, and on a shoe-string budget?"

"We humans call that 'winging it'," he replied, picking up Garrus' assault rifle as they headed out of the battery and towards the shuttlebay.

"Winging it? Aren't you evolved from primates? How does that even make sense, I mean..."

* * *

"A slum with a plague that kills turians? Why can't we ever go anywhere nice, boss?" Garrus asked. They had found where they needed to go, but armed guards blocked the way. Apparently while Omega maintained no dedicated police force, Aria was smart enough to try and at least keep some sort of order in her domain. The guards were there to prevent the plague from getting out and the uninfected from going in. A little persuasion had gotten the guards to agree to let them in, likely in part due to the extremely conspicuous heavy weaponry they carried. But at the plague's description, Shepard stopped.

"I don't know, it seems the bad guys would be kind enough to hang out on an asari resort and spa," he responded, shaking his head. "Either way, I'm not going to drag you into a plague zone after we just put you back together."

"I won't let a little cough stop me, Shepard."

"Neither will I, that's why you're not going. Miranda can tag along this time, she looked downright pissed when I didn't bring her. Afraid I'd get up to trouble without someone from Cerberus to keep me in check, I guess."

The turian grumbled but complied as they began to head back towards the dock. Zaeed slapped him on the shoulder and laughed.

"Look at it this way, lad. Maybe the gods will smile on you and next time we'll get that asari pleasure colony trip."

Garrus' mandibles raised slightly. "Really?"

"Nope," Shepard and Zaeed answered simultaneously.

A final burst of rifle fire was quickly carried away in the roaring wind.

"Tango down, Commander," Zaeed confirmed, kicking over one of the vorcha corpses at his feet. "Both fans activated and all enemies neutralized."

They had made their way through the ruined streets of Omega's quarantined ward. It had appeared like a scene from one of those post-apocalyptic vids, bodies in the streets, fires burning for no particular reason, barricades set up but long since unmanned. Houses were alternately locked down like fortresses or left wide open, windows broken and contents ransacked. They had run across a few random pockets of survivors, directing them to follow in their destructive wake to reach the clinic on the lower level that was their original destination.

No sooner had they reached the clinc then the power had died, leaving the entire ward bathed in the pale red of the emergency lights. The salarian that he could only assume was their goal had practically pushed them out of the room, directing them to the power and ventilation plant with a rapid explanation of preventing the ward from suffocating. Apparently Shepard just looked like someone he wanted to solve people's problems at the drop of a hat. So he did, even pulling the doctor's young assistant out of the line of fire in the process.

"Confirmed," Shepard agreed, making a quick scan of the area through his scope. They didn't want to leave any Vorcha alive to wreck havoc as soon as they departed. He saw Zaeed fire another burst into one of the fallen just to make sure. He could get used to having the old mercenary around, he was precise and thorough. And while he had a lifetime of experience he also followed orders without question. Still, he couldn't complain too much, Miranda hadn't second guessed him at all so far, and he had to admit she could handle herself in a fight even if she didn't have any military training.

"Shall we head back up, Commander?" she suggested, holstering her pistol.

"Let's... come on, Zaeed. Unless they can turn into whole new vorcha when you cut them in half I think they're dead."

"Better safe than sorry," the man replied.

It wasn't a long trip back to the clinic, even if it had seemed like miles on the way down. Distances always appeared greater than they appeared when people were trying to kill you on the way there. Unfortunately for Commander John Shepard it seemed like that everywhere he decided to go someone had the same bright idea. As they trudged through Omega's dirty corridors he idly wondered what life would have been like without being thrust into galactic events. He'd seen more combat since his time on the Normandy than even most N7 marines saw in their entire careers, the feeling of his rifle pressing into his shoulder, the thump of the recoil, watching the target fall... they'd all become as natural to him as eating and sleeping. It was unsettling when he thought about it for too long, glancing at Zaeed as he walked. Was that his future?

"Ah, you have succeeded. Very good. Noticed power back on. Levels of contaminant in air already dropping, as hypothesized."

The salarian surprised him, waiting at the door as it slid open. His orange-brown skin and glossy black eyes watched everything, noting details and facts. He also talked at a mile a minute.

"Sorry for sudden orders. Seemed best course of action, your team best suited. Why are you in wards anyways? Mercenaries? No, too well equipped. Aria? No no, she had taken as much action as deemed appropriate. Not government backed, didn't offer objection or try to take control. Humans. Well informed, extremely capable. Leaves... Cerberus?"

"You are extremely well informed yourself, Dr. Solus," Shepard said, crossing his arms over his chest. "I've come to ask for your assistance. The Collectors have been abducting human colonies and we need to stop them. To do that, we need a genius that can find out ways to neutralize their method of paralyzing entire colonies."

"Spent some time with STG, can handle self, still hear things," Mordin replied, drawing the pistol at his side and idly looking it over, a small smirk on his face. "Cerberus recruiting non-humans? Very interesting. Plague here possible Collector origin. Have technology. Have motive for testing. Quite logical. Crisis over here, assistant Daniel can take over. Defeating advanced race such as Collectors... intriguing. I will assist you."

Shepard extended his hand. Mordin looked at him quizzically for a moment, before finally extending his own and shaking it firmly. "Welcome to the team, Doctor."

* * *

Two hours later Mordin had said his good-byes and fully briefed his staff and Daniel, the young doctor he had saved early, to take over as his replacement. In addition to imparting a veritable assault of information at a barely comprehensible speed he also left the security mechs. They would 'keep the gangs respectful' he had stated, when the respect for good medical care wasn't quite enough. Once back on board the Normandy it didn't take Shepard long to get out of his armor, this time stowing it properly after giving it a brief once over with the cleaning of it, replacing his combat gear with far more relaxed shirt and pants. He hadn't failed to notice the double breasted, black and white Cerberus office uniform hanging in his closet, but putting it on was another matter. It was probably perfectly tailored, but something about putting it on would have felt like a betrayal.

Heading back down, he found Solus getting settled in at his new lab, moving back and forth excitedly. He finally looked after a few hectic minutes of rearranging things and poking at computer systems. "Ah, Commander Shepard. I am happy I came aboard. Very nice lab. Best equipment. Nice working for organization with a budget. Not quite as good as STG, didn't have to buy our own weapons, but still very impressive set up. Should get you results quickly."

"Glad you're liking the place. Tell me as soon as you have anything, I want to be ready the next time we get a lead on the Collectors."

"Understood. Will do," Mordin replied, already focused on one of the samples.

He walked out of the lab, moving to check on the status of things on the CIC. Kelly glanced over at him when he opened up his terminal. She had introduced herself within minutes of him boarding the Normandy for the first time. Yeoman Kelly Chambers, apparently her official job was to help manage his schedule, messages, and issues from the crew. Unofficially she'd said that the Illusive Man had picked her due to her experience in the fields of psychology and social engineering. She was here to make sure a crew of elite soldiers and killers didn't snap during what was likely a suicide mission. He had to wonder if that description also included 'spy for the Illusive Man', but his instincts were telling him that she was being honest. Her concern and enthusiasm seemed truly genuine.

"You've been busy, Commander. Our newest recruit is like a hamster on coffee, so much energy. I think he'll be extremely productive," she said.

"I hope so, I'm no scientist. He's our best chance to find something to neutralize the weapon the Collector's have been using to capture the colonies."

She nodded, walking over to stand closer to him. "I am a little concerned about your old friend, Garrus. He just seems so... wounded when he thinks no one is looking. Its like I just want to hold him and tell him everything is going to be alright."

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "Got a soft spot for aliens, Kelly?"

"I feel that... companionship shouldn't be restricted by species or gender," she said, to her credit managing to color only slightly. "There's too much wrong in this universe to let something as silly as some amino-acids ruin a chance at happiness if its there."

"Not an opinion I'd have expected to hear from a member of Cerberus," he said. He turned from his console, more interested now.

"Cerberus is about advancing the human race, not about subjugating aliens. I'll admit, there are some racists and human purists in Cerberus, but it's a mistake to think that's all we care about. And it's clear you harbor particular prejudices towards aliens, after all you saved the Citadel with three of them at your side."

"I think everyone deserves a chance, no matter what reputation they may have."

"Everyone, huh? Or were you specifically referring to say, krogans and quarians?" Kelly asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"They just happen to get the worst rap," he said defensively.

The yeoman laughed. "Don't worry, Commander. I just recall reading in your dossier a mention of you bodily lifting a guard off his feet that refused entrance to the ceremony with the Council to two of your teammates because of their race. Apparently even the security cameras didn't pick up exactly what you said to him, but it must have been dreadful. I've never seen a man lose that much color in his face that wasn't bleeding."

"Ah, yes," Shepard said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking a little sheepish. "I lost my temper. I just made no sense, none of those people would have been alive if not for Tali and Wrex, and yet they still just saw a pair of racial stereotypes."

"No judgments here, Commander," she said. Nodding towards the cockpit she smiled again. "You should head up there, Joker looked like he wanted to talk and I somehow doubt he's going to have a productive conversation with EDI."

He simply nodded, heading towards the front of the ship while Kelly went back to her station. Joker had been less than fond of having an AI on 'his' ship, even if it didn't have access to any of the vital systems. It had proven useful, though, and he wouldn't turn down any advantage. When he reached the cockpit he could already hear them arguing once more.

"Don't even start with me!"

"Problem, ladies?" Shepard asked.

Joker turned in his chair and jerked a thumb at EDI's holographic display. "Yea, the damn computer is threatening to fire me."

"To clarify, personnel adjustments are not actually under my control," the AI clarified. The commander couldn't quite suppress a chuckle. "Still, grease over my optics is not considerable a valid 'workspace personalization' Mr. Moreau."

"Nag nag," Joker replied, miming a mouth with his hands.

"Letting an AI get the best of you? For shame, Joker. Kelly mentioned that you had something on your mind."

The pilot glanced around Shepard's tall form towards the CIC. "Did she now. Everyone watching me these days. I was just a little curious, I mean we've been adding new folks pretty quick, are we sure all of the Illusive Man's picks are the best idea? Like this Zaeed guy. I mean, he's like you, but he takes checks. I've seen what you do. You're scary people. And I'm not entirely sure I trust a guy that does what you do for the payroll. "

"Massani has a reputation for straight dealing when it comes to his job, and he seems fine following my orders," Shepard said. "But the concern is noted. To quote you, I don't trust anyone that makes more than me, and that means I'll be examining the Illusive Man's choices carefully. But so far he's done pretty well."

"Yea, suppose so. I mean we got Garrus back, so that's something right? He even finally got that stick out of his ass, though now that he did I get the impression he wants to beat some guys to death with it," Joker said.

He sighed. "He had a rough time of it on Omega, hopefully being back on the team will help him work through it."

"Sure thing, Commander. My opinion doesn't matter all that much anyways, I just fly the ship. Figured I'd share anyways."

"Don't worry, Joker. I didn't muzzle you before on the old Normandy, no reason to start now," he said. Bringing up his omni-tool he quickly punched in some coordinates and forwarded them to Joker's control panel. He gestured out the window. "When you're done psychoanalyzing, head for that system. We've apparently got a new krogan to pick up. A warlord of some kind."

"Oh, another dangerous alien? Can't you collect something normal? Like stamps or, I don't know, commemorative plates?"

Shepard shrugged as he walked back towards the CIC, speaking over his shoulder. "I could... but they aren't nearly as entertaining."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Greater Good

Shepard rolled out of the bed with a sigh. The only illumination in the room was the still empty aquarium casting a faint blue glow across everything. It had been just over a week now since he had awoken after a two year sleep, at least that's what he thought of it as. Examining the idea that he'd been dead for two years, and just exactly where he was in the between time, wasn't something he wanted to dwell on. Giving up on further sleep, he instead pulled on the shirt he had tossed across the couch and went to his private terminal to try and get some work done. Aside from the night after Garrus had been brought on board he had awoken at least once a night, images of Akuze, of the Normandy's destruction, or remaining fragments of the Prothean visions tearing through his mind like race cars on a track, their noise too loud to allow peaceful sleep.

He idly pecked at the display, skimming messages and dossiers before leaning back and closing his eyes. The Illusive Man had promised to continue to look up information on his former crew, though whether he had said it to simply keep Shepard in line or if he was actually genuine was something of an unknown. Wrex he wasn't terribly worried about, if anyone in this galaxy could survive and come out on top it was that stubborn, deceptively cunning krogan. But the others... in two years Garrus had become a vigilante gang leader and was only alive now thanks to timely intervention and a state of the art medical bay. And that didn't account for the mental and emotional scars he had clearly gained in the interim as well.

It didn't help that he still didn't have a shred of information on Ashley or Liara, either. He was confident in Ashley's ability to keep it together, she was a good soldier, and that was what good soldiers did. Liara was different. She'd been a sheltered researcher when they had found her, in the space of a few short months she'd become an experienced combatant and valued part of his crew. Tali might have worried him as much or more than Liara if hadn't encountered her on Freedom's Progress. She had been just as inexperienced as the young Asari, but without the benefit of being part of one of the most respected and powerful races in the galaxy. It was clear she'd learned a great deal in the time he'd been absent, from the way she commanded her team on the colony and her reaction at his revelation. She'd kept control, even if he was able to tell it had been a close thing.

He couldn't stop the involuntary curling of his fist when he came across the report on his actions leading up to Saren's defeat at the Citadel and Sovereign's destruction, listing his crew and accomplishments. The simple little letters next to a name still cutting so deeply. Kaidan Alenko: KIA. For the world at large, Kaidan's death was history, part of the tale of a tragic war against a power hungry rogue Spectre. But he had skipped those past years, for him it still felt like a month ago when he had made the call, ordered a man to die for the good of the mission, maybe even the good of the galaxy. That was supposed to have made it easier. It didn't.

"I wonder what you'd think of this, Alenko," he said to the darkness in the room. "You were always the level-headed one. Would you have thought that working for Cerberus for the greater good was worth it? That this was worth dying for..."

He was following the same path again, recruiting people to try and fight an enemy no one else would even acknowledge, much less make a stand against. The Collectors were an unknown, with clearly superior technology and an unknown purpose. It wasn't hard to believe that there was a very good possibility that the mission was a one way trip for them all, even if they found a way to follow the Collectors to where they went to ground and strike at their heart. He wanted his old team to stand with him, but at the same time he couldn't help but think they'd given enough already.

Shepard stood, shaking his head. Time to do something productive, Garrus was usually awake by this time and the former Spectre been slacking in his hand to hand training. Garrus should have been healed up by now for a few good rounds to keep the skills sharp. Besides, they hadn't tested out just what kind of performance those expensive Cerberus cybernetics where capable of and something physical would keep his mind occupied, keep the wheels turning and pushing him forward. There wasn't time for rumination, he'd come to terms with the blood on his hands later. He was just afraid there would be too much to wash away when the dust finally settled.

* * *

"Joker, this is ground team, ready for pick up. Warlord Okeer won't be joining us, but we do have a package to load onto the Normandy and it's a big one," Shepard said into his comm. The radio beeped once to confirm the transmission before crackling to life with a simple acknowledgment and ETA from Joker. Looking at the massive krogan contained in the tank he couldn't help but wonder if he was going crazy bringing this thing on board. Still, Okeer had been willing to die for this, his perfect specimen. It seemed only fitting that he bring the 'child' with them.

"Hmm. Yes. Very interesting. Hadn't thought of that. Retract previous dismissal of concept of 'krogan scientist'. Clearly was mistaken."

"What have you got, Mordin?" he asked, walking up behind the salarian as he examined the logs that Okeer at left.

"Fascinating. Warlord Okeer working with thousands of genetic samples. Some very old," Mordin explained. "Was not kidding when said 'perfect soldier'. Has given tank bred child genetics and training from dozens of most famous and capable krogan individuals. Theory: he was attempting to create a krogan so pure that natural adaptability would overcome genophage without additional treatment. Not cure other krogan, but make 'stronger' krogan."

"What? Overcome the genophage?" Garrus asked in surprise, suddenly interested in the conversation more than fiddling with his 'very favorite gun'.

"I'd think that would be a good thing, condemning the krogans to a slow decline wasn't just."

The salarian's attention snapped to Shepard. "Just? Justice irrelevant. Logical. Best possible solution with minimal loss of life. All other outcomes would have led to open war, thousands, possibly millions dead. Already explained my time with STG monitoring genophage, many options considered, but genophage was best. Replicates population control aspects of post-uplift Tuchanka, natural predators, harsh weather."

"You don't think thousands of stillborn children and infertile females is a 'significant' loss to the krogan?" Shepard shot back.

Mordin frowned. "Must understand, Shepard, thousands of variables considered. Simulations run. Krogan breeding rate simply unsustainable, war with Salarians, Turians would be unavoidable. All other simulations resulted in war, krogan aggression simply not controllable. Did what was necessary, even if others don't agree."

"He's right, Mordin. My father's plates would curl if he heard me say it, but what we did to the krogans... I don't think it should be done to anyone. You kill a criminal because he's a threat to innocents, you don't torture him with a slow death," Garrus said. "Shepard taught me that sometimes you have to do what needs to be done, but you don't draw it out. You end it, quick and clean."

"Try actually talking to a krogan sometime, Mordin, instead of just studying them through programs and simulations," he replied. While the cold assessment of the scientist frustrated him, he couldn't quite summon up proper righteous anger, his views had been much the same before the mission to stop Saren. Only in working side by side with Wrex had he realized the horror of taking away the one thing that every species he'd encountered thus far needed: hope. He smiled ruefully. "When they're not trying to kill you, they can actually hold a good conversation."

"That's the truth. Wrex always kicked my ass when we played the damn human game of yours... poker, wasn't it?" Garrus asked, following Shepard's lead to lighten the mood slightly. "Ugly piece of meat was smarter than I think he ever let on."

With that they went back to work, securing the tank-bred krogan for transport and adding anything salvageable from the mercenary's supplies to the pile to take back to the Normandy. Cerberus might have been footing the bill, but Shepard had a long standing policy of waste not want not. It wasn't as if the Blue Suns had much of a legitimate claim to most of the gear they had found, and any that had survived their encounter with the team weren't sticking around to argue the fact. Between the three of them, the mercs had been plagued with technical problems quickly exacerbated by the repeated sniper shots. Shepard had actually been pleasantly surprised by Mordin's combat acumen. He had learned greater respect for Salarian soldiers on Virmire but he still didn't think of them like he would krogans, turians, or other humans. Mordin was quick, thorough, and smart. Every shot counted, every tech-mine had triggered for maximum effect. He didn't have the weapons training or the armor to stand up in a prolonged firefight, but one had to respect his abilities.

"Will... consider your input, Commander. Decisions not made lightly. Human experiences with krogans previously unknown, however," Mordin said after a few long minutes of silence while they worked.

"That's all anyone can ask, I suppose."

* * *

Two hours later the Normandy was in transit once more, heading for the next stop on the extensive list of dossiers the Illusive Man had provided. Shepard stood in the briefing room as Jacob and Miranda argued about the 'newest recruit' currently locked in one of the smaller cargo holds of the ship. For a time he just sat back and listened to the argument. It was at least a nice change in the fact that Miranda was berating someone other than him. He had managed to corner her into a conversation like a normal person once or twice in the past week, gotten a little bit of history out of her. It did at least explain her need for control, so he was able to understand her way of thinking a little more, even if he didn't entirely trust her yet. She was too much 'Cerberus' girl' still.

"You honestly think he should go down there and wake up a super-krogan that has been flash-educated for its entire brief existence?"

Jacob shrugged. "The thing is almost the size of a YMIR mech and probably just as durable. I thought we were trying to put together a team of the best? A krogan bred to be the best of an entire species sounds pretty close to that."

Exasperated, she turned to Shepard. "Commander?"

He arched an eyebrow. At least she was turning to him for decisions instead of making them and trying to force him to go along. "I haven't decided yet. There is the potential danger, but we're going to need every advantage we can get."

"You should have guards if you do wake it up, we don't know what its disposition is going to be," she said.

"True, but he's a krogan. I might not be an expert but I've got a pretty good idea what to expect. Miranda, I'm going to need you along on this 'Jack' person. Whatever arrangement Cerberus has made, probably a good idea if they've got an official representative on hand. I'm still not sure about this particular idea."

"He wouldn't have sent us out if he didn't think every one of those candidates were the best possible options. I trust the Illusive Man's judgment."

"Makes one of us. Dismissed."

Miranda simply nodded, while Jacob made his usual crisp salute. He'd told him that he wasn't actually a commander anymore and that he didn't require such formality from his crew, but he suspected the younger man found some reassurance in the routine. Leaving the briefing room, he had intended to pace for awhile and try to organize his thoughts, but his feet found him rather quickly in the cargo bay, staring into the greenish liquid of the krogan's tank. He idly wondered what advice Wrex would offer if he was here. He could almost hear the deep, gravely tone.

Let'em out. If he's a real krogan he'll survive, it's what we do. Deserves a chance to fight either way.

He shook his head and smiled. "EDI, is there anything wrong with this krogan that you can tell? Defects or problems?"

"Negative, Commander. He seems to be a perfect example of the krogan species from the information contained within my databases. I cannot, however, comment on his mental state. I would advise extreme caution. Would you like me to alert Garrus and Jacob to come to the cargo bay?"

"That won't be necessary," he said, standing with his hands clasped behind his back. "Open the tank, EDI."

"Of course, Commander," the AI replied. If he hadn't known better he'd have thought he heard a hint of reproach in her tone. He waited as the complicated system cycled, all clicks and whirs as the fluid slowly drained into a holding tank. At first nothing happened and then the tube unsealed with a hiss. The krogan slumped forward as if he would fall, but his eyes snapped open. In one smooth motion the massive scaled form stopped his forward momentum and raised his head. Pupils dilated, his eyes a shade of blue that made them look startlingly human, he rushed forward immediately. Even prepared for it, it caught Shepard by surprise. He was massive and he was fast.

The krogan had him slammed up against the wall, snout to nose as he looked into his eyes. "Human. I need a name."

"Commander John Shepard, of the Normandy," he replied, voice level, never taking his eyes from the krogan's.

"Not your name human. Mine. Okeer's imprints gave me knowledge, data, skills... but no connection. No reason. His final words... warlord, legacy, grunt?" he scoffed, lips curled, exposing the thick, sharp teeth in his broad mouth. "Grunt. It is simple, has no meaning. It will do."

"Well then, Grunt. What do you intend to do now?"

"I am Grunt," he said, as if tasting the word. "I was bred to test the strongest and become greater, but Okeer's imprint failed. I hold no loyalty to him, his clan, or his goals. I seek to fight. Prove your worth and try to destroy me, human, if you think you can."

"If I wanted you dead you already would be, Grunt," Shepard said, breaking eye contact for the first time to glance down significantly. His Carnifex heavy pistol was pressed against the seam of the krogan's armor just above his waist. He looked back up and growled low in his throat. "Now stand down, soldier, or we will find out just how fast the perfect krogan can regenerate."

Grunt immediately backed down, stepping away and giving an approving nod. "Peace on one hand and arm the other. Show no fear, no hesitation. You are worthy of your command, human. I will follow you. I suspect you will find many worthy enemies."

"You won't be disappointed. We have one mission: find a race known as the Collectors and take the fight to them where they live."

"I have some knowledge of these Collectors from the tank," he said with a nod. "You do not disappoint."

Shepard smiled. "I'm glad. Welcome to the Normandy. Let's introduce the crew to their newest member."

* * *

A few leery looks greeted the hulking krogan, but there were no overt objections even from Miranda once it was clear that Grunt wasn't some sort of crazed killing machine. In retrospect it was likely a good thing that he'd brought Garrus and Mordin on board first. A Cerberus' first alien crew member being a test-tube krogan warrior might have been too much of a shock. He had just finished showing Grunt engineering when the warrior had declared that his vessel was fit for a warrior and he was going to return to the cargo bay to consider his first conscious day's events.

"Man, that is one big beastie. See'n 'im walk through the door was almost as much o'suprise as having me commanding officer actually take'n the time to introduce 'imself," Ken said. During his first day or so aboard the Normandy he had made a point to visit the major areas of the ship and make his presence known, including introducing himself to his two lead engineers, Kenneth Donnelly and Gabriella Daniels. He had taken an immediate liking to the duo, they were clearly extremely competent if a little quirky. Ken was scotsman that couldn't hold his tongue if his life depended on it, and Gabby did her best to keep him from stepping on said tongue too often.

"Ken," Gabby hissed. "Do you have to make a snide remark about the boss every time he shows up?"

The man put on a look of false hurt. "I didn't say anything bad about 'im, quite the opposite in fact. Usually the brass just ignores us grease monkeys."

"The ship needs everyone to function, not just the people with the nice leather chairs, besides one of my best friends was," Shepard said, then corrected himself. "Is a grease monkey, I should say. She could take the Normandy's power regulators apart and put them together again with half the parts and twice as efficient."

"Oh, sounds like me kind of girl," Ken said with a smirk.

He was about to explain about Tali when Joker's voice came over the intercom. "Commander. Incoming transmission from the Illusive Man. It's flagged as priority Alpha. At least I'm guessing what all these little red winking lights are trying to tell me."

"Understood, I'm on my way," Shepard responded quickly, using the intercom on the engineering station.

He double-timed it out of engineering and into the elevator, impatiently waiting on the methodical speed of the machine. Less than two minutes later he stood in the briefing room as the table sank into the floor and activated the communication device. EDI had explained it to him, but it was something akin to explaining to a dog how a phone works. All he knew was quantum somethings aligned and that allowed for instantaneous communication and that it was amazingly expensive.

The Illusive Man was sitting in the same position he had been when Shepard was first introduced to him, hand-rolled cigarette in one hand curling smoke into the air. Faintly glowing eyes watched him closely.

"Shepard, we might have just gotten a break. The colony on Horizon just went quiet."

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"This is the most warning we've ever had of an attack," the Illusive Man said. "Don't be short-sighted. The Normandy is closer and faster than any Alliance warship, you can be there in hours. Has Dr. Solus perfected a way to counter act the Collector's seeker swarms?"

He shook his head. "No, but when he last updated me he said he was close. I'll have Joker lay in a course at maximum speed."

"Good. It's time to show the Collectors that humanity won't just stand idly by when our people are threatened."

"For once we agree," Shepard said and cut the connection.

* * *

The Collector vessel hung over the colony like a great pillar. It was a flat brown in color, irregularly shaped, and looked as if it was a smoothly flowing piece of stone or wood. He left the Normandy in orbit with its stealth systems activated, taking a shuttle down to the surface and flying low to avoid detection. When they hit the ground it was in full combat gear with sealed suits, Grunt and Jacob first followed by himself and Garrus. He had left Miranda in command of the Normandy.

"Are you sure these modifications are going to work, Mordin?"

"Tests all proved positive. Live combat encounter new variable, am excited to see results," he replied, sounding all too cheerful in the relatively safety of the Normandy's technical lab.

"Great," Shepard muttered and then gestured forward. "Move out, Grunt you've got point. Hold fire until I give the order or fired upon. I want this to be one hell of a surprise for these bastards."

They moved quickly, finding the outskirts of the colony devoid of life. Around the perimeter the large turrets of GARDIAN defense lasers sat silently. If not for the looming Collector vessel the place would have been eerily identical to the silence of Freedom's Progress.

"Negative contact, Shepard. I thought we were going to get into a proper fight," Grunt said, scanning the empty buildings.

"The day isn't over yet, Shepard is nothing if not good at finding trouble," Garrus said.

Despite his eagerness Grunt continued to follow orders, maintaining the sweep pattern with Shepard, while Jacob and Garrus paired off for the opposite side. It was only a few minutes later when Jacob spoke through the comm.

"Commander, you better see this."

What he found was a paralyzed human, laying on the stairs to one of the habitats, hands raised as if to ward off an attacker. The man's eyes were open and his pupils dilated when exposed to light. It was quite likely that he was fully conscious, but completely paralyzed. The experience must have been horrific.

Shepard glanced down at him. "We'll get you out of this. Let's move, I want to find these things before they do this to anyone else."

The silence was broken almost immediately when they moved through the large set of double doors to the east. The insect like form of a Collector turned at the sound of movement, raising what he could only assume was a gun.

"Contact!" Grunt barked and let go with his shotgun. The Collector never stood a chance, the blast taking it full in the chest. Other Collectors moved towards them at the sound, others flying in on buzzing wings.

"Hit them hard and fast!" the commander ordered. He raised his rifle and fired, putting a round right through one his target's four glowing eyes.

The courtyard erupted in fire, with the initial barrage dropping half a dozen of the enemies before they had time to properly react. While their hides seemed tough enough to serve as armor, Grunt and Jacob's shotguns were able to tear right through them, while Garrus kept up a steady stream of fire with his assault rifle. Still, even with the element of surprise he noticed that the enemy numbers were increasing rapidly.

EDI's voice spoke in his ear. "Commander, I have detected that the GARDIAN arrays are fully functional, they simply required targeting equation corrections which I have provided. There is a service access terminal at the center of the courtyard at your current location. You should be able to power up the generators from there."

He looked to the center of the courtyard. The terminal was a slightly raised platform, a half moon shaped concrete wall on one side but little cover other than that. This was going to be interesting.

"Copy that, EDI. Garrus, covering fire! Jacob, Grunt, take the middle and hold!"

The two soldiers were the spearhead, removing the collectors in their path to the terminal, while Garrus and Shepard advanced more slowly, keeping up a steady stream of fire from SMG and rifle to keep the enemy from rushing back in. As soon as he had ducked behind the low wall Grunt produced his assault rifle and provided covering fire while Jacob triggered his biotics, pulling a few of the heavy steel containers closer to provide further cover.

Motioning Garrus forward they ran for the center, narrowly diving into cover to avoid the spray of fire from the Collector rifles. Shepard knelt in front of the terminal, interfacing with his omni-tool to quickly start the generator powerup cycle. The percentage began to tick upward with frustrating slowness.

"We've got to hold this position until the generators fully charge. Once they do EDI can activate the defense grid," he said, standing quickly to first a burst into one of the approaching Collectors.

Garrus' sniper rifle gave a crack and another enemy fell, but even as he ejected the spent thermal mag he was shaking his head. "Boss, I think there are more bugs than we've got ammo."

"Husks!" Grunt bellowed. Apparently Okeer's imprinting had been even more thorough than Shepard had realized. A dozen shambling monsters came from one of the passage ways, picking up speed as they charged forward at their targets. The Collectors took the distraction to begin circling around, trying to gain a better position.

"Those look a lot more... machine than the ones from the research logs they showed us," Jacob said, his back against the wall as he reloaded his shotgun.

"I guess that confirms two things: husks weren't geth tech, and that the Collectors are definitely connected to the Reapers," he said. Glancing over cover and snapping off another rifle shot, sending a collector tumbling to the ground, he gestured at the charging husks. "Jacob, pull! Garrus, left flank, I'll clear out the right."

The turian nodded, fired off a final round from his sniper rifle, and then tossed the now useless weapon aside. Looking down Shepard quickly activated one of his tech-mines and waited for Jacob. A moment later the telltale blue shimmer raced across Jacob's skin and the charging husks found themselves flailing helplessly in the air. He sent the mine spinning through the air to strike beneath the floating husks, immediately exploding in a burst of white hot fire. Moving quickly he stepped out of cover, brought up his rifle, and dropped one of the Collectors trying to flank them. Garrus' rifle began barking out a steady rhythm as he did the same on the opposite side.

His rifle ejected the smoking thermal mag even as he noticed the Collector round the corner of a high crate. Without time to reload he simple charged, flipping the rifle around and bringing the stock down on the thing's head. It staggered from the blow, but quickly recovered. Shepard dropped the rifle and yanked the combat knife from its sheath at his back, stepping into the Collector's reach. It tried to strike him with the rather unpleasantly pointed looking edge of the rifle, but he responded by blocking the blow with his left forearm and delivering a vicious kick to the Collector's first knee joint. His efforts were rewarded with a sickening crack. He shoved the gun barrel down and stepped past the now kneeling drone, driving the knife backwards and into the base of the Collector's neck.

Fire from surviving drones drove Shepard away from his weapon, forcing him to draw his pistol with his left and return fire as he retreated. Half a magazine dropped another Collector before he finally made it back to the limited safety of the terminal alcove. One of the drones had apparently attempted a similar tactic on the opposite side, only to wind up tangling with a laughing Grunt. It's broken body gave testament to the average being's chances in close combat with a krogan.

"Getting dry here, Commander," Jacob said, dropping his now empty shotgun. He noticed Garrus had already fallen back on his side arm as well.

"Nothing like a suicide mission to wake you up in the morning," Garrus yelled, snapping off a few more shots.

Unlike the other two, Grunt was having the time of his life. "Now this, this is a battle!"

"Okay, we're going to have to abandon this position. Garrus, get ready, you're leading the way back to the shuttle. I'll bring up the rear."

The turian seemed about to open his mouth to argue when a bone vibrating hum suddenly became audible over the din of the battle. A few seconds later a familiar, feminine voice spoke into their headsets.

"Commander, GARDIAN array fully charged and ready to fire."

"Let them have it, EDI!"

The sky erupted in a roar of fire. Half a dozen anti-ship lasers fired all at once, raking across the hull of the Collector vessel. Fire on their position decreased as confusion apparently wracked their attackers. The defense lasers fired again and explosions could be seen across the hull. The fire completely stopped... and then the ground shook. The Collector vessel was lifting off, retreating from the repeated pounding it was receiving from the GARDIAN defense turrets.

"Looks like they're bugging out, Commander," Jacob said.

"Heh, bugging out," Garrus chuckled.

Further commentary was cut off as weapons fire began once more. The Collectors on the ground weren't even attempting to retreat, instead focusing their attention on the pinned foursome. He was down to his last thermal, and it looked like the others were close to the same. Shepard growled and slapped the fresh magazine in his Carnifex.

"Okay, looks like they are fully committed to killing us. We stay here and we're toast. Ready to go get up close and personal?"

Grunt responded with a savage grin, while Jacob and Garrus simply nodded. Each produced a blade, Jacob's identical to his own, while the turian's was a longer, serrated weapon. With an unintelligible yell he vaulted over the low wall, firing his pistol as he charged. The other three followed immediately behind, the sudden change of tactics with this blitzkrieg apparently confusing their attackers. A few rounds struck his shields, but not enough to penetrate.

Their resident krogan hadn't even stopped, his charge carrying him right into one of the drones while shrugging off its fire. The charge ended with the Collector hitting the wall behind it with a messy crunch, leaving Grunt free to grab the next nearest enemy and lift it off its feet, slamming it into the same wall. Garrus and Jacob had bull-rushed the same group of three drones, tearing into them. Sticky ichor quickly stained their weapons and fists.

Shepard closed the distance with his target, dropping low to avoid its fire. A fist hard in its chest sent the drone staggering back, but before he could deliver a final blow a deep voice seemed to roar from the Collector.

"Assuming direct control."

Its feet left the ground as energy suffused its body, exploding outward in a burst that sent him flying backwards. Scrambling to his feet he tossed aside his now empty pistol. The drone's body still pulsed with the same energy as it touched ground once more. The triangular head focused on Shepard, its quartet of eyes burning with fire. With a wave of its hand a bolt of the same energy that seemed to radiate from its body shot out, striking him full in the chest and laying him flat on his back. His whole body burned with agony, making it even more difficult as he struggled to his feet. The Collector seemed to regard him with disdain.

"We are the Harbinger of your ascension. You cannot escape your destiny, Shepard."

He stood, swaying on his feet. The thing had just addressed him by name. It knew who he was. "What are you?"

"Foolish. We are Harbinger. We are your end. We are your salvation through destruction," the drone said, standing over him. He hurled his knife in one smooth motion, embedding it deep in the drone's chest. Looking down, the Collector removed the blade from its chest, tossing it aside. Clawed hands curled, crackling with unknown power. "Your attacks cannot harm me, Shepard."

Visions tore through his mind once more. Screams of a dying race struggling to get out, causing him to cry out himself in a yell of pain. It made sense now, the husks... the technology. This wasn't a Collector that stood before him, at least not anymore. Somehow he stood in the presence of a Reaper, or at least its terrible voice. His vision was blurry, but he could see movement behind the thing that called itself Harbinger. He gritted his teeth and looked up, practically spitting the words. "Maybe not. But that's why I have friends."

The roar of an assault rifle took the thing by surprise, its focus being so completely on the prize in front of it. It staggered under a withering hail of fire, turning to face the new threat, a hand raised to lash out. Unfortunately for Harbinger the moment the barrage of fire ended a living projectile, nearly two hundred kilos of enraged krogan, slammed into it at a full run. Even with its enhanced abilities, it simply couldn't stop such momentum, tumbling backwards with Grunt. The krogan grabbed the Collector's body by the waist and lifted it off the ground, slamming it back down over the bullet riddled concrete wall around the terminal with an ear splitting crack.

"You only damage the vessel. You cannot harm me," it said, even as the body twitched ineffectually from the damage inflicted. The krogan gave a low growl and brought a foot down on its head, expecting a messy end, only to have the entire body disintegrate like so much ash. Shepard felt hands under his arms, helping him back to his feet as the pain quickly receded from his body, leaving only a lingering soreness. With a groan he rubbed his eyes.

"I thought the mags were dry."

"They were, Skipper."

Shepard's head jerked up. He blinked furiously, trying to focus his eyes. "Ash?"

Before him stood Master Chief Ashley Williams, wearing that same standard issue Alliance armor as the day he had met her on Eden Prime. She was the same woman he remembered, dark hair and tanned skin, mouth in a firm line that he remembered would occasionally twist upwards in a smile. In her arms was an Avenger assault rifle, the barrel still smoking. Brushing off Garrus and Jacob he took a step towards her, only to have the barrel of the Avenger raise slightly and her right foot drop back. Standard Alliance close combat posture. He stopped, confused, trying to speak.

"I know this is a surprise, just-"

"I can't believe the rumors were true... I can't believe that you're alive," Ashley said. The words were a simple statement, but they sounded more like an accusation. "Two years, Shepard? Two years we thought you were dead."

"I was dead, Ashley. You think I wouldn't have contacted anyone if I'd been able to? I mean- wait, you knew I was alive?"

Doubt flashed across her features, along with a swift array of other emotions. She shook her head. "We had heard rumors, but I had just dismissed them as that, ghost stories and propaganda. We also had rumors that Cerberus was involved in the abduction of our colonies, which is why I was sent here. Now I find you here, working for Cerberus? We spent weeks fighting these bastards, destroying their sick experiments, and you come back to life and join the cause?"

"I'm not part of Cerberus, Ashley. I'm working with them because they brought me back when the Alliance apparently couldn't even be bothered to remember what we fought for, much less protect our own colonies," Shepard replied, sudden anger creeping into his voice. He shook his head dispelling it. "Look, I know this is crazy, but you saw what happened here. I'm trying to stop these things, these Collectors, and Cerberus seem to be the only ones willing to get involved. I'm putting a new team together and I could use people I can trust."

"Join you? I'm an Alliance soldier, always have been and always will be. You sound so confident, you always did. How do you know they are manipulating, controlling you? You saw the things they've done."

"And you think they're controlling me too, Williams?" Garrus piped up. "Didn't forget your old turian buddy, did you? Shepard always put it all on the line for us, and it cost him everything. He comes back and you practically call him a traitor when he asks for your help."

Her chin dropped slightly, the hardness in her eyes flinching at Garrus' words. Shepard could see her jaw tighten. "I have orders, ones I intend to follow. I need to report back to command and the Council on what happened here. Its up to them to decide who was right and who was wrong."

"So that's it? All the blood we shed together, the friends we lost?" he asked.

"That's the best I can do," Ashley replied, her voice slightly less harsh, even if the undercurrents of anger and pain were still there. "I saved your life today... it doesn't even come close to making us even, but its the best I can do. I hope that you know what you're doing, because if the time comes we're given orders to take Cerberus down... I won't hesitate, not even for you."

"I hope it doesn't come to that," Shepard replied, his voice flat. "Goodbye, Chief Williams."

She said nothing, only turning and heading for the port, clearly on the way to one of the shuttles waiting there. Grunt and Jacob had wisely remained silent during the entire encounter, either having nothing to say or realizing that this was a matter that they were not privy to the history of. For a few long moments the assembled group stood, the awkward silence hanging in the air. It was broken by Shepard's fist slamming into one of the crates, sending it toppling to the ground. Its metal surface bore a noticeable dent. Shepard finally spoke, his voice thick and gravelly.

"Joker, come in for pick up. I'm tired of this damn planet."


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: White Knight

"You knew she would be there! The 'rumor' of my existence? About Cerberus and the colonies? I've been awake for less than two weeks. That could only have come from you," Shepard snapped.

The Illusive Man steepled his fingers and nodded. "It was necessary, now the Alliance can't completely stick their heads in the sand about the threat the Collectors pose."

"And Ashley? You said my old team wasn't available, but you seem to have known exactly where she was going to be, I even saw Tali on Freedom's Progress," he said.

"The quarian's presence was unforeseen and I had no assurance that Chief Williams would be the one dispatched to Horizon," the man replied. He pointed at Shepard, the ever-present cigarette still clasped between two fingers. "Information is my business but I needed you focused on the task at hand, not rounding up the old gang when there was no assurance they would even help."

"I need people I can trust, not just the ones with the best resume!"

"I see that now," the Illusive Man said. He reached down and lifted the glass at his right, swirling the ice in what was undoubtedly extremely expensive liquor. A small smile crossed his face. "Either way your mission was a success, Shepard."

"They took half the colony and escaped with it before we go there. I wouldn't call that a victory," Shepard replied bitterly.

"No? Saving half a colony is more than anyone has been able to accomplish since these abductions began. In addition we've now field tested Dr. Solus' anti-swarm technology and gained extremely valuable tactical data on Collector weapons and defenses. The simple fact that the GARDIAN arrays were able to drive them off proves that they're not unbeatable," he said. With the glass in one hand he gestured at a screen that popped up, showing footage from one of the colony security cameras just after Grunt had executed the possessed drone.

"And more importantly we've shown them that humanity has teeth. In the grand scheme of things the few dozen drones you killed might not be significant, but they'll be more cautious now. That gives us time."

"Call it what you will, to you its just all numbers and data. I saw what they did to those people. I won't lose one more person to those things if I can help it."

"That's why we spent billions of credits to bring you back, Shepard," he said, leaning forward, voice animated. "That is what humanity needs, it needs that determination, that will. And to show you that I can admit my mistakes, I'll widen my information net for data on the remaining members of your old team. As soon as I have something you'll be the first to know."

"Fine. What now? We know we can hurt them, but we still don't know how to do that other than waiting for more colonies to be attacked."

"You keep building your team, Commander, and try to muster every resource at your disposal. You said yourself that you might be able to wrangle some support from the Council. I don't have much faith in them, but maybe you're right. We'll keep analyzing the data we have and looking for leads."

"You do that. Shepard out," he said, cutting the connection. Taking a step back to allow the table to rise back into its usual place, he couldn't help but give a tired, frustrated sigh. It annoyed him in a petty way that the Illusive Man was technically correct, they'd faced what by all rights was a superior enemy and sent them into retreat. But it just didn't feel like something worth celebrating. He hit the door control, shaking his head. As soon as the briefing room door opened, he found himself ambushed by Dr. Chakwas. The next thing he knew he was sitting on one of the medical beds, his armor sitting neatly on the adjacent bed as he was examined.

"Doc, I'm fine."

"Fine? Half your body is bruised and you have a few micro-fractures on your ribs that would have been complete breaks for someone without your cybernetic augmentation," she scoffed, quickly hitting him in the arm with a small device. A quick pinch and she had a blood sample. "I had the others in here too, well Jacob and Garrus at least. The krogan just said 'any wounds are well deserved reminders' and wandered off. Both of my other patients, however, told me you had been hit by something from one of the Collectors that had caused you serious pain."

"It was some kind of biotic attack, but I was able to shake it off."

"Maybe, but better safe than sorry. You're not immortal, Commander."

"I know that all too well," Shepard replied with a frown. He extended his right hand, slowly clenching and relaxing his fist. It felt like it always had, but under the skin he knew it was different. The punch he'd delivered to the Collector's chest should have left his hand aching even with his armor on.

"Sorry, John. Poor choice of words," Chakwas said, far more quietly. She took hold of his chin and made a quick examination of his face. "Your scars do seem to be healing, albeit slowly, but I don't know if they'll ever fade completely."

The process the Lazarus Project had used to bring him back was nothing short of amazing, but it hadn't been perfect. Of the people he'd known on the old Normandy that he had encountered since awakening only Ashley hadn't commented on them, and that was from a combination of his helmet obscuring his face and her own hatred of Cerberus occupying her thoughts. The longest mark ran just above his right jawline all the way down to his chin, another above the same eyebrow and cutting down to the bridge of his nose, while another followed the curvature of his left cheekbone to just short of the base of his ear. The faint orange glint of the cybernetics that lay beneath his skin where the scars were the deepest served as a constant reminder of just what price had been paid for his resurrection.

He forced a smile and slid off the examine bed. "I'm sure Garrus would say they just add character."

"Maybe so," the doctor agreed and gave him a pat on the arm. "Go on then, but if you feel pain, any pain, don't hesitate to come back here."

"Of course, Doc," he lied and headed out of the medlab.

Horizon was far off the beaten path and it would take the Normandy some time to get back on course for their original destination. Another night of fitful sleep had ended with Shepard and Garrus down on the cargo deck once more, sparring. They had been going at it for close to an hour when by mutual agreement they had called a time out, sitting on a few of the crates and breathing heavily. Garrus idly flexed his right mandible and then grimaced.

"Still hurt?" Shepard asked.

"Only when I laugh. And when someone punches me," the turian said with a snort.

"You said full contact."

"Yea, I know," he sighed, glancing over at Shepard. "The pain isn't bad, though. I think its more the... feeling. I saw the way you favored your left there, I'm guessing you've got the same feeling."

"What feeling?"

The turian arched what passed for an eyebrow among his kind and shook his head. "Please. The feeling that it isn't quite right. Wondering if the bits that are attached with metal are still really your bits. I've only got a patch job's worth in me. From what I've been able to guess, or extort from Chakwas, it looks like you've got at least a patrol frigate worth in you."

It was Shepard's turn to shake his head. "You've gotten more perceptive since the last time, Garrus."

"Not enough," he said quietly, but continued before Shepard could interject. "It bother you?"

"I... maybe? I honestly don't know," Shepard sighed, feeling odd as he voiced it aloud. He glanced over but the turian was silent, watching him. A smile tugged at the corner of his lips for a moment as he realized he was sitting in the cargo bay with a turian, and that said turian was probably the best friend he had in the galaxy at the moment. Their grandfathers would have been appalled. Still, if he was going to have anyone subjected to his rambling, it might as well be Garrus.

"Part of it is knowing that I should be dead without the cybernetics and whatever else they did to me," he continued. "The rest is, well, every time I think of the hardware and what I can do now I can't help but think of..."

"Saren?" Garrus finished when he trailed off. At his nod of agreement he felt a rough hand slap him on the shoulder. "Don't. You're nothing like him. We're nothing like him. After all, you and I shop at the same store now."

"You know I seem to remember being on the other side of these conversations last time," he said with a smirk. "Either way thanks, Archangel,"

The turian rubbed the back of his neck in a familiar gesture. "It's, ah, just Garrus to you, Boss."

"You going to tell me exactly what went down on Omega, Garrus?" Shepard asked. His voice was quiet, level. It wasn't an order, just an offer. For his part, Garrus seemed to be thinking, pacing back and forth slowly before finally stopping. He sat down and leaned his back against the crate, forearms resting on his knees. When he spoke he didn't look at Shepard.

"I tried to be you, Shepard, and I failed. When you died it was... it was like losing a member of the family, for all of us. Williams and Joker got shuffled off into the Alliance military pretty quick. Wrex was already gone. Liara... Liara just shut down, became very focused on something but she wouldn't talk about it, then she disappeared too. Tali stayed on the Citadel for a short time during the reconstruction, I tried to keep an eye on her. She cried for days after the funeral, you could hear her even when she tried to shut off the suit speakers to try to hide it. I never felt more useless, even back when C-Sec's rules hampered me so much."

"Like I said before, I went through Spectre training, tried to do what I told you I would. But the Council ended that. When Tali went back to the Flotilla to finish her Pilgrimage after a few weeks it was just me," Garrus continued to explain, his voice thick and scratchy. "I got fed up. With the way they ignored everything we tried to tell them, with the red tape of C-Sec, with everything. So I struck out on my own, ended up on Omega."

"Definitely a change of scenery," he commented.

"I'll say. I got my wish. On Omega there was no red tape, as long as I didn't mess with Aria I could do whatever I wanted," he said, chuckling ruefully. "So many criminals. I went to work, hitting them where I could. At first it was just breaking up some protection rackets or saving someone from a dealer or gang. But I started getting a rep, hooked up with others... ex-C-sec types like me, mercenaries looking to turn over a new leaf, those sorts."

"Before long I had my own team all looking to me for leadership. So I stepped things up, started hitting the smuggling operations, the slave rings, and red sand dealers. We'd get in and get out, take whatever was handy to finance ourselves and torch the rest. I thought I'd really done it, we worked well together. Even had a batarian in the group, amazing hacker. But I got careless. I should have seen it coming."

Shepard nodded. He had already put the facts together. "Who was it?"

"Sidonis. A fellow turian, no less. He lured me off on a fake job, but when I got there he was nowhere to be seen," Garrus growled. "I double timed it back but I was too late. All but two of my team were dead by the time I arrived, they didn't last much longer. Then it was just me in that damn building, waiting to die. I was just too stubborn to make it easy for them."

The rest, as they said, was history. Shepard had arrived, the mercenaries had been almost entirely wiped out and even with their assistance Garrus had nearly died. Now his friend shared a burden he'd never have wished on anyone, knowing that someone under your command had died in the line of duty. Vigilante group or organized military, it didn't change the facts. No matter how they died you always felt responsible.

When Garrus spoke again it was in a flat, cold tone. "I lost my entire team except one man that day. If I ever find him I intend to remedy that mistake."

"Don't let it run your life, Garrus," he said, returning the man's gesture from earlier and placing a hand on his shoulder. "But if you find him, you know I'll be there when the time comes."

"I know, Shepard," Garrus said, levering himself to his feet and giving the turian equivalent of a smile. "After all, you taught me how to get the job done in the first place."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," Shepard laughed, accepting the turian's help up, gripping his forearm tightly. He looked Garrus in the eye. "You going to be okay?"

He nodded. "Are you?"

"I'll be fine. Can't show any weakness, I think it might trigger a varren-like attack reflex in Miranda," he replied. They both laughed, finally calming themselves when they noticed Zaeed walking across the cargo bay towards them.

"There you pups are," Zaeed said, sounding like an odd cross between an exasperated parent and the ruthless mercenary he was. "Goddamn intercom must be on the fritz. One of those damn Cerberus flunkies nearly got her damn fool head blown off when she barged into the room I took. Was look'n for you, Commander. Said that the Illusive Man was on the the line for you. Something about some Tali girl, priority Alpha, all that mess."

Shepard and Garrus glanced at each other before immediately bolting towards the elevator. Zaeed was left standing in the bay, looking mildly confused.

"What in the hell?"

"I'll explain later, Zaeed. Thanks for the info!" Shepard called back over his shoulder.

Keeping up with him easily, Garrus looked confused. "Why is the Illusive Man calling us about Tali?"

"He said he'd try to get more info on the old team after I made it clear I needed people I could trust. I wasn't expecting to hear from him a day later," he explained, skidding to a stop in the elevator and slapping a button. "Him sending a message flagged priority Alpha, though, that's a little troubling. It's the same alert level he used for Horizon."

* * *

Garrus Vakarian was worried. The most recent communication from their dubious benefactor was only a small part of it. The entire idea of working with Cerberus was a little unsettling in and of itself, though he had found most the crew of the new Normandy quite easy to get along with. Even the ones that didn't seem particularly friendly were at least polite. Being part of Shepard's original crew definitely had benefits in that regard. His concern was far more directed towards the man that led them. He would follow Shepard into hell without hesitation, he practically already had for that matter. But the Shepard that had shown up like a ghost to pull his ass out of the fire on Omega wasn't the same man that had led them against Saren.

He leaned against the wall and sighed, watching Shepard speak to the Illusive Man. Shepard was still an inspirational leader, no doubt about it. Already the collection of disparate individuals all working aboard a Cerberus vessel was testament to that. His voice held that same steel conviction, the unspoken statement that once he decided something he wouldn't let anything stand in his way. Having fought alongside him before, though, Garrus noticed things he suspected the others might not have noticed. In the midst of a crisis there was no hesitation in his orders, but when they weren't on the battlefield he could tell that something bothered him. For turians it would be like saying they had an 'itch on the bottom of their plates', a feeling that they couldn't quite identify or reach. The conversation in the cargo bay had explained some of it.

Turians were probably more comfortable with cybernetics than humans were, after all they'd be using them longer. But he had seen more of Shepard's medical files than he'd admitted. He could understand the commander's concern. Had he survived the Battle of the Citadel, fallen to the Collectors, and been reborn only to be some sort of monstrous hybrid of machine and man just like Saren?

That question wasn't all of it, however. There was something else at the core of it all. Shepard was a little more reckless, a little more willing to take risks in a fight. Not to mention his surprise when he reviewed the log that Miranda had made regarding the mission to recruit him. At least his hacking skills hadn't atrophied, her security had been good. The commander had always had a sort of resigned pragmatism in the way he acted, but the way he had abruptly executed the Blue Suns mechanic had surprised him. Something clicked in Garrus' head. It was almost like he was trying to maintain control of himself, like a varren yanking hard against a chain straining be let loose, and every now and then his had slipped from the chain for a brief moment.

Garrus shuddered. He'd seen Shepard frustrated, in pain, even angry. Only once had he seen him truly enraged. It hadn't even been part of their main mission, just a side track on the hunt for Saren. A group of pirates and slavers had hit a small colony outpost on one of the remote worlds that humanity had tried to stake a foothold on. Unlike most, these had decided to set up camp instead of the typical hit and run, keeping the women and children as slaves and pets after killing anyone that offered resistance. He and Tali had gone down with him, seen the anger building in his eyes as they witnessed the dead and abused. The leader of the band had gloated about their spoils and finally made a lewd comment about 'popping the Quarian's suit and seeing which killed her first, his men's entertainment or the air'.

The result had been devastating. When the dust had settled he had broken the pirate's neck with his bare hands. One the shuttle ride back to the Normandy he'd apologized, even as he tried to wipe tacky, dying blood from his hands. Something about the combined overwhelming cruelty and the nonchalant threats of the overconfident batarian had been enough to make him temporarily lose the devil may care attitude and practiced discipline Garrus had come to know him for. The turian didn't want to think what would happen if something ever gave him a push just hard enough to send him tumbling off the edge. Giving him a reason to let go once and for all, and let that beast run free.

He snapped out of his musings when the comm finally shut down and Shepard stepped out. The commander immediately tapped the intercom and barked an order to the cockpit. "Joker, change course and make for the coordinates that were just laid in. Red-line it."

"What's the situation, Commander?" Garrus asked.

"The Illusive Man apparently is good for his word, this time at least. A few hours after sending out his feelers, he got a tip that Tali had left on route to a planet inside geth controlled territory. He doesn't know why, but it seems logical she's on some sort of mission for the Flotilla," Shepard replied, stepping aside as the table rose from the floor and locked back into place. "Turns out this isn't the only ship Cerberus has, just the fanciest. One of their scout ships calculated their trajectory to a planet called Haestrom."

The turian shrugged. "I know its Tali, Boss, but what's the big deal? She can handle herself and I doubt they'd have sent her without support. I don't think she'd appreciate us interfering with the fleet's business. She's small, but she's feisty."

Shepard's face was grim. "It matters because it's a trap."

A few hours later what Shepard was beginning to think of as his 'war council' was sitting around the briefing room table. Grunt had declined to sit, instead standing by the entrance. Joker had even made his way to sit at the opposite end of the table from Shepard while the ship approached the planet on autopilot. Mordin, Garrus, Miranda, Jacob, and Zaeed all sat looking to him, and he'd even included Kelly Chambers since he felt the 'regular' crew needed at least someone in attendance at major briefings. As soon as they'd gotten closer they had been relayed further data from the hidden Cerberus scout vessel that had originally tipped the Illusive Man, and thus Shepard, off to what was going on.

"If the information that the Illusive Man sent me is correct," Shepard said and quickly continued, looking at Miranda. "And I'm assuming it is, then there is a geth cruiser hiding behind one of Haestrom's second moon. I know geth are synthetics and patient, but even the Geth would have no reason to just have an assault ship sitting behind a moon on the off chance that someone showed up in a system that hasn't seen sentient organic visitor's since the Geth-Quarian civil war."

"Why would the geth be setting a trap for this Tali'Zorah?" Zaeed asked. "Seems a great deal of trouble for one specific quarian."

"On Horizon one of the Collectors spoke to me, it knew me and called itself Harbinger. As crazy as it sounds, I think this Harbinger is a Reaper, just like Sovereign, that has found some way to control or possess the Collectors. And since we already know that Sovereign had geth at his command, it stands to reason Harbinger might as well," he explained, his mouth set in a displeased line. "The only explanation I can think of sounds extremely self centered. This Harbinger is setting a trap for my former crew members since it can't get to me. It intends to capture or kill Tali."

He looked around the room. "I won't let that happen."

"Agreed," Garrus said.

"EDI, please bring up the data sent by the other Cerberus vessel."

"Of course, Commander," the AI said. A holograph sprung up over the table, showing a map of a large complex. "This is the area that the quarian vessel touched down, it is logical to surmise that they are looking for data from somewhere within this complex. Unfortunately the geth have reached the same conclusion. One dropship has already touched down on the surface while another is on its way from the frigate. From the size of of the Flotilla vessel we can estimate no more than fifteen to twenty quarians were on board. Each dropship is capable of transporting a standard company's worth of geth soldiers, along with support armatures if properly equipped."

"Over a hundred geth, with more on the way? They don't stand a chance," Jacob said, leaning forward.

The salarian doctor looked carefully at the map and seemed to be doing math in his head. "Odds are not favorable, would require precise execution and extreme skill."

"This is a suicide mission for the quarians. I don't see how we will fare much better," Miranda added.

"I wasn't asking for opinions on whether or not we're going. I won't force anyone to come, but I will be going even if its alone. I don't leave my people behind."

"Commander," Miranda said, her words carefully chosen. "We both know that sometimes there comes a point when-"

His fist tightened, but he planted it firmly on top the of table. "I am aware of the realities of war. But I won't abandon her on that world. The only reason they are after her is because of me. As I said, this is optional. I'm asking for volunteers, not ordering people to their deaths."

Grunt slapped his chest, nodding at him. "I will not hesitate to follow."

"You know I always liked Tali, Commander," Joker said, with his usual lop-sided grin. "I'll make sure you get there, even if its just you and the wall of meat n' guns."

"Alright," Miranda said suddenly, much to his surprise. "How do we make this work?"

He smiled. "We go in hot and fast. Joker I won't even insult you by asking if you can drop us out of FTL much closer than the enemy frigate."

"Appreciate it, Commander."

"Kelly, do you think we have half a dozen crewmen with marine training that can be relied upon to keep their heads in combat? I'm going to need soldiers to hold down an LZ."

The yeoman looked a little surprised to have even been asked a question. She opened her omni-tool and quickly scrolled through some names, nodding. A few more taps and he noticed an update on his console. She gestured towards him. "Those five either served as Colonial Marines or have equal combat experience, along with being well adjusted enough to follow orders and kept their cool. There are two more that have security and weapons training but not real combat experience."

"Five will have to do, I don't want to stick anyone in a fight that isn't prepared for it," Shepard said. He looked to Miranda. "If you're in, then I need your help. For this to work we can't let the geth focus all of their forces on a single area. We need to hit them from multiple directions, divide their attention. I'd like you to lead the second team."

She nodded. "I'm in, Commander. This may be crazy, but that's why we brought you back, no? Let's just hope your reputation for accomplishing the impossible holds."

"Thank you," he said, probably the most pleasant words he'd had for her since coming on board. He looked over to Jacob. "And you?"

"I think I can safely say we're all in, sir," the soldier confirmed, glancing around the table at the resulting nods.

"Good. I need you to lead the five that Kelly just sent to me, keep them smart and keep them alive. Hope you're ready for your first taste of command."

"I won't let you down, Commander."

"I know. Here is how this is going to work," Shepard said, his voice confident. He pointed to three different areas of the complex that EDI immediately marked with small glowing orbs. "Bravo team is you, Miranda, along with Grunt and Mordin. You'll set down here and hit them from the west. Keep in mind that apparently the sun is on its way out here, that means extreme levels of certain radiation. It'll be hell on your shields, so you want to avoid direct sunlight as much as possible. Your job is to simply tie them up, as soon as things get too heavy I want you to evac to the shuttle burn back to the Normandy at top speed."

He continued. "Jacob, Delta team is yours. I need you to land here and secure an LZ. Don't advance or do anything stupid, they'll come to you. Equip heavy, you don't need mobility for this."

"Commander, we only have two Kodiak-class shuttles," Miranda pointed out.

"Noticed that, did you?" he said with a smirk and pointed at the final location. "That's why I hope you can fly a shuttle as well as you can do everything else. Garrus, Zaeed? You're with me. We're going to do a hot drop right here and burn straight to their center lines. EDI has designated this area as the most likely destination for the quarian team, as its the largest and most intact structure."

"Now this is my kind of op," Zaeed said. The scarred mercenary's grin was almost feral in its intensity.

"Jumping out of a perfectly good shuttle? That's our tactical genius for you," Garrus laughed and tossed him a mock salute. "You lead, we'll follow, Boss."

"Plan is... audacious. Element of extreme surprise. Somewhat reckless. Multiple avenues of attack. Speed will be key. Believe it will work," Mordin said.

"Then that just leaves the last part of the plan in your hands, Joker," Shepard said.

"Me?" he asked in surprise.

"Yea, it doesn't matter how well this goes on the ground if we don't have a ship to come back to. I'm leaving you in command of the Normandy. Think our girl can outrun and if need be outfight a geth cruiser?"

The pilot smiled and patted the table. "Oh yea, Commander. I think she can."

* * *

The trio hit the ground hard and rolled, immediately taking cover as the shuttle burned away, the geth not even bothering to take ineffectual parting shots. A few of the machines scanned the area, looking confused. They never had a chance to properly assess the situation as the three enemy combatants emerged from cover in a blaze of fire. Over the radio a few moments later he got confirmation that both Bravo and Delta teams had touched down and were engaged, with geth opposition being light thus far. Standing over the broken geth patrol, Shepard looked between Zaeed and Garrus with a smirk.

"I love it when a plan comes together."

"Hah, well are we going to go save the day, then?" Zaeed asked.

Their turian companion nodded. "That's the plan. It becomes rather routine after you've followed Shepard around for awhile."

With that they moved forward, advancing quickly in a leapfrog pattern, one man point and cover, two advance, repeat. The ruins were clearly ancient, much of the details etched into the stone having faded with time, but surprisingly most of the heavy hardware was intact. Apparently back when they had planets the quarians built things to last. It was an odd juxtaposition considering the way they survived in present time, constantly salvaging used vessels and patching up damaged ones. In one of the rooms they found a dead quarian, his suit riddled with holes. The damage to the door made it clear that he'd barricaded himself in to attempt to hold back the attackers.

"This isn't good, Commander," Garrus said, checking the fallen man for life signs, even though he knew it was pointless. A few data slates and a small personal computer sat atop a stone table, obviously gear brought by the quarian team as it resembled none of the surrounding material. Shepard took a few moments to check for any useful info. He was surprised to see a holo log begin to play, with Tali's helmeted face front and center.

"This place is amazing. We're here to study why the systems sun is fading, its far too soon. When we left this world it was normal. Suns don't die in three hundred years. I just wish we had time to explore, but its too dangerous to risk staying any longer than necessary lest a geth patrol come across us. Still, it is amazing to see... so much space! After all those talks about quarian life aboard the Flotilla... I wish Shepard were here to see this."

"That your girl, Shepard?" Zaeed asked.

"Yea. I mean, yes, that is Tali'Zorah. We need to move before we attract more attention. I don't want to get bogged down," Shepard said, gesturing to the door. As they made their way through the complex they encountered more geth, but the resistance was still fairly light. He continued to check in with the other teams, though the solar radiation made it difficult. Apparently splitting their attention had worked, as neither Miranda or Jacob reported any danger of being overwhelmed. It wasn't long before they came on more fallen quarians. He was quick to scan the fallen forms, but didn't see familiar colors among them. One of their radios squawked and a rough voice come from the speaker.

"This is Kal to Eash team, is anybody left over there? Come on, you _bosh'tets_ answer me!"

Picking up the radio, he spoke. "This is Commander Shepard of the SSV Normandy. I'm afraid your team is down."

"What? Shepard? Keelah, look I don't know what's going on but if you're not geth, that means you're alright in my book. Names Kal'Reegar, Migrant Fleet Marines. We're getting tore up here, I don't know where all these geth came from but I left the last of my squad to hold that position while I tried to get Tali'Zorah to the objective. It's a mess down here, though."

"Confirmed, we're on our way. Is... is Tali still alive?"

"You better believe it. She's holed up in the main control room for this place," Reegar replied. He felt relief even as they kept moving. The radio line dissolved into static for a moment before Kal'Reegar came on again. "Whoa. Gotta go!"

"EDI, confirm his location."

"Done, Commander. You'll find it already marked on your HUD. Also, Joker has successfully eluded the geth vessel for the time being."

"Good, keep me updated."

Now that they had a firm location, Shepard abandoned the one by two pattern and moved at a full double time. They relied on the element of surprise and superior firepower to quickly overtake the remaining geth in their path. It was also why he'd brought Garrus and Zaeed with him, both were experienced soldiers, quick and precise, wasting no time eliminating their targets before moving on to the next. Within a few minutes they had rounded a corner to find quarian soldier kneeling behind cover, holding his side. Seeing them he quickly motioned for them to get down, the reason why quickly apparent as a massive blast of energy tore into the rock face behind him. He drove and rolled, coming up next to the marine.

"Commander Shepard. Are you Kal'Reegar?"

"Hah! The one and only. So you're Shepard, huh? Thought you'd be taller from the way she talks about you. I got no idea why you're here, but I sure won't turn down the help," he said, jerking his head behind him. "Tali is across the way, she locked down that place good. The geth tried to hack their way in... but well, funnily enough its hard to hack a door when some _gen'ro'sa_ is shooting rockets at you."

"I'm taking it there is a colossus over there if the ominous booming is any indication," Garrus asked, not even bothering to peek out from behind cover.

"That would be the big problem of the day. I can't get a clear shot at the thing where its at, best I can do is rattle its optics before it huddles down to repair and recharge," Kal'Reegar said, patting the launcher sitting next to him. Shepard noticed his other hand still at his side and it was stained.

"You're hit, marine."

"Yea, one of the bastards punctured my suit when I tried to get closer for a better shot, but don't you worry about me. I'm swimming in antibiotics and enough painkillers to make an elcor woozy. Every marine on this mission was prepared to die to protect Tali'Zorah and complete this mission, and it looks like most of them did."

Shepard nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't make it here sooner. Keep your head down, we'll take it from here. You've already given enough, no reason to get yourself killed."

The quarian growled and tried to move into a crouching position, a sound he had never heard from before from one of his people. Thought admittedly his experience was primarily limited to Tali. "Hell with that, I've got some fight left in me. This launcher still works, I can still fire."

"Look, marine, you've done your duty. Don't throw your life away out of pride," Shepard barked, dropping his rifle next to the quarian and taking the rocket launcher. "Besides, I need you to keep an eye on the way we came in case they try to flank us."

"The man's right, soldier. Dying for the cause is great and all, but liv'n to kick the crap out of the bastards another day is better," Zaeed added.

"Alright, Shepard. I hope you know what you're doing," Reegar replied, gripping the rifle tightly.

"Guess we'll find out. Garrus, remember the time we were hitting that one geth base in the Archer system?" he asked.

"Oh come on, Boss. That was a stupid plan and stupid plans generally only work once," Garrus objected. He locked eyes with Shepard for a moment before sighing. With a nod he gestured dismissively and began to fill in the mercenary on the plan. While he did Shepard produced one of his tech mines and attached it to the back of the magazine on the rocket launcher, then ejected the magazine on his SMG and locked a fresh one in. He took a moment to check with EDI. Apparently both of his other teams had performed better than expected, wiping out the geth that had tried to assault them, and were heading for his position. By the time the turian had finished explaining Zaeed was looking at him with a smirk and shaking his head.

"You're a bloody nutter, Shepard. But at least you're not boring."

His only response was a thumbs up before grabbing the launcher with his left hand, SMG gripped tightly in his right, and vaulting over their cover. Immediately his two compatriots bolted in opposition directions, one towards the gantry on the left, the other following the stairs up to the platform on the right. Shepard felt the first siege pass over him, hairs standing on end. A moment later the courtyard erupted in fire as Garrus and Zaeed began to alternate fire, tearing into the geth around the massive armature. He glanced over the piece of machinery he was hiding behind, waiting for the right moment. Then he saw the machine raise its 'head' where the main gun was housed to take aim at Zaeed on the higher platform.

"Now or never," he muttered and rolled out from cover, scrambling to his feet and running full tilt at the colossus. After some trial and error in the old days, they had discovered the large geth war walkers couldn't turn around very quickly once they'd raised their weapons to take aim at a distant target, thereby making it hard for them to track something that was coming right at them if that something was small enough. Like say, the size of a normal human being. Shepard could only hope that this wasn't a flaw they had corrected in the past few years.

The colossus turned its attention to the small organic charging it, its head cocking to the side in a way that would have been almost comical if it wasn't intent on killing him or his people. He raised his SMG, but didn't fire at the larger geth, but rather poured fire into the smaller infantry around it. One of the ones that the other two hadn't taken apart yet collapsed sparking under the torrent of fire even as the heavy armature opened up, narrowly missing Shepard as the blast went overhead once more.

Fortune apparently smiled on the bold or at least the foolhardy. Of course he nearly lost his head when the machine swung one massive leg at him when he got close. He narrowly avoided the swipe and dove, throwing his body into a roll between the geth's four legs and keeping up his momentum until he was on the other side, almost touching the door the geth had just been trying to hack. The armature clumsily tried to turn to face the human. He smiled and pressed the button on his omni-tool.

The geth never knew what hit it when the rocket launcher he had dropped during his roll suddenly exploded, first the round in the chamber and then the rest of the magazine cooking off a second later as Shepard crouched and covered his head. The explosion still slammed him back against the door, dazing him slightly, but the colossus fared far worse. Inside its kinetic barriers the blast lifted it off its feet, tearing one of its legs off and sending its long neck wrenching to the side. When it slammed back into the ground with a thud the optic in its one large eye flickered once and then died. A few seconds later Zaeed and Garrus had made their way past the smoldering hulk.

"Okay, I'll admit, that was just as cool the second time as it was the first. Just as dumb too," Garrus said, looking at the fallen colossus.

Zaeed could only laugh. "You know usually I get paid extra for armor duty, but I don't think I'll mention it this time around."

Shepard nodded. "Let's get this door open."

The seal on the door was good, but unlike the geth he didn't have any distractions. Not to mention a far better motivation to get it open, wanting to confirm that Tali was still alive and well. After a few more seconds it unsealed with a hiss and then slid open. He was about to step inside when a shotgun blast tore a chunk from the stone wall at the edge of the door. A familiar voice, clear and angry came from within the room.

"Come on, you_ bosh'tet_. I don't care if you're a machine... I'm not going to die alone in this room, not today."

Garrus' mandibles curled upwards and he spoke loudly. "Come on now, Tali, I thought we agreed... you can call me that, but not when there's company."

Inside the sound of something heavy hitting the ground was heard and then silence. Carefully Shepard stepped inside to see Tali leaning back against the console, her shotgun laying on the floor. Shepard popped the seals on his helmet and set in on one of the large slabs of stone near the door, a mischievous smirk on his face. "Sorry to pop in unannounced, but you know, Garrus hates calling ahead."

She shook her head. "Shepard? I... but how..."

A moment later he had a grateful quarian with her arms around his chest squeezing tightly. He laughed and put an arm around her, patting her back. She stayed there for a long moment before pulling away, her head hanging somewhat sheepishly. Garrus walked up next to him, a bemused look on his face, only to have Tali give him a hug as well. The turian looked quite perplexed by the entire situation. She coughed and turned her heads towards Zaeed.

"I... uh, well I have no idea who you are but thank you," she said quietly.

The mercenary merely chuckled and tossed a lazy salute at the commander. "I'm just here because this stubborn bastard decided he wasn't going to have any mere geth messing with his people."

"Shepard, what are you doing here? I mean, I'm grateful... Keelah, I thought I was going to die, that I'd never see y- my home again. You have a knack for showing up at the oddest times."

"I got some information that you might be in trouble," he said with a shrug.

"You... heard I was in trouble and flew to a planet on the edge of the Terminus systems to help?" she asked.

Shepard rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled. "It was very reliable information. I even found this smelly old turian along the way and decided to keep him after pulling his bacon out of the fire. I watch out for my own, Tali. That includes you."

"I just don't know what to say," Tali replied, sounding mildly bewildered.

"Well, if your mission is complete after this, I was hoping I could persuade you to join the Normandy again, Miss Vas Neema."

At the mention of the mission, the quarian turned back to the console and hit a few buttons. Her shoulders slumped and she shook her head. "The mission. I hope this data is worth the lives the Admiralty Board just used up to get it. I can't believe information on dying stars is worth the lives of all those marines."

A grunt came from behind them, followed by a pained laugh. "Not all of those marines, ma'am."

"Kal!" she said, spinning on her heel. "You're alive!"

"Thanks to your Commander, here. You weren't kidding about this guy. You kept talking about him and I here I was thinking it was just tall tales from the Pilgrimage but he handled that colossus nice... if not terribly neat. Tell me, did we get what we came for?"

"We did. I just hope it was worth it."

"So do I," Kal'Reegar said. "We need to get this back to the Flotilla."

Tali's hands twisted together, fingers seeming to move like a living knot. "I'm not going back to the Flotilla, Kal. I put in a request a few weeks ago for leave to serve with Shepard on the Normandy after this mission was over. I didn't get an official response, but if the Board doesn't like it they can go to hell. Too many people died today for me to care about protocol."

The marine nodded, and if he could have seen his face Shepard almost though he probably would have been smiling knowingly. "I kinda figured as much, ma'am. Don't worry, I'll tell'em what happened here."

"We can give you a ride, Kal. Back to the Flotilla even if you need it," Shepard offered, but the marine shook his head.

"Nah, the geth never bothered to hit our ship. As long as I fly out low and then punch it I'll be long gone by the time any of their ships see me," he said. Limping over to Tali and gripped her upper arm briefly. "I know you'll manage especially with a captain and crew like these around but take care of yourself, ma'am."

"I will, Kal. Keelah se'lai."

"Keelah se'lai, ma'am ."

The quarian marine quickly left, heading back to his own ship even as Shepard was radioing Joker for pick up. His other teams checked in, confirming that the geth on the ground had been eliminated. There was nothing left to do on this planet. He would liked to have been able to give the fallen marines a proper burial, but the geth frigate would be on them too quickly. Shepard turned to Tali and gestured towards the door with one hand.

"Ready to go, Tali? The Normandy awaits."

She glanced around the room and nodded. "I am."


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: A Choice

The ride to the Normandy was an odd experience for Tali'Zorah vas Neema. Something inside her felt almost... giddy to be back on Shepard's crew, but another part of her felt horrible for having that feeling after the battle that had happened just an hour ago and had resulted in the loss of so many quarian lives. It was all very strange, but for the moment the pleasant feelings overrode the unpleasant ones. Other than back on the Flotilla Shepard and his crew were the only people that had ever treated her like a person instead of a nuisance trapped inside an environment suit. And even then on the Flotilla she was still the admiral's daughter. On the Normandy she was just Tali.

She was snapped out of her reverie when one of the crew members started speaking to her. It was the dark skinned young human, Jacob, she believed Shepard had said his name was.

"I read the reports of your performance during the Saren incident, Miss Zorah," the human said. "I think you'll be a great asset to the team."

Despite her attempt to control it, she couldn't keep a hint of venom from her voice. "I'm here for Shepard, not Cerberus. I remember what your kind did to mine, not to mention that Cerberus thought experimenting on the rachni and husks was a good idea."

"Look, we're not all the same. I know Cerberus has done some terrible things. Heck I'm part of them and I don't agree with all of them, but right now they're the best protection humanity has."

"You can claim ignorance all you want, it doesn't mean I'll trust you," she replied.

Shepard spoke up. "Do you trust me, Tali?"

"Of course," she answered without hesitation. It didn't even seem like a question worth asking.

"Good, then I hope you can believe me when I say that from what I've seen most the people on the Normandy are good people," he said with a smile. "I don't trust Cerberus either, and I'm not afraid to say it, but I've learned to judge the individuals, not the group as the whole. I learned that from a special friend I met while trying to save the galaxy."

"I-" Tali began but stopped herself. For once was glad her face couldn't be seen as she felt her cheeks burn in embarrassment when Shepard's words hit home. He was right, as he often was. She trusted him, he trusted his crew, the same crew that he'd brought down to Haestrom specifically to save her life. "I will... try to keep an open mind. My apologies, ah, Jacob."

"Don't mention it. I'm just lucky Shepard didn't shoot me when I told him we were Cerberus the first time we met."

"The thought crossed my mind, I'll admit. Was almost a violation of one of my rules: '#4. If they tried to kill you once, chances are they will again. Don't give'em the opportunity'," he said, but his tone was genial and good natured. He leaned forward across the space between himself and the quarian, giving her a quick pat on the knee. "And don't worry, Tali. I think you'll approve of the new Normandy and her crew. I even kept Joker around, bad jokes and all."

Tali laughed slightly at that, feeling her body tense faintly at the touch. She shook her head after a moment and tried to relax, going back to observing their approach to the Normandy. She couldn't understand why she was acting like she was. It was rare for a quarian to experience a great deal of physical contact, especially outside the Fleet, but these were her friends. Well, some of them were her friends at least. Shepard had already went back to talking to Jacob about some idea Garrus had come up with regarding the Normandy's forward armaments with some sort of new technology.

She still couldn't believe this was all happening. In her mind Tali could still see the horrific vision of the Normandy breaking apart through the tiny view port of the escape pod, her fists pounding ineffectually against the glass. Realizing after the funeral that Shepard had sent the encrypted Alliance file on the geth to her omni-tool before the attack, giving her what she needed to complete her Pilgrimage even after he was gone, she had broken down again. Finally she had gone back to the Fleet, she had mourned, she had tried to move on and lose herself in the mundanity of life aboard the Flotilla. Seeing Shepard alive on Freedom's Progress had completely thrown her entire world for a loop.

Then, even as she was crouched in the bunker on Haestrom, lamenting the fact that she'd never get to fulfill her promise to rejoin his crew and trying to hold back tears, he had come walking through the door. That same cocky, lopsided smirk on his face, so casually larger than life when he admitted to dropping a small strike force in to take out a company's worth of geth all because of a tip. Tali realized her hands were wringing and made conscious effort to force herself to stop. She would make sure his faith in her was not misplaced. This was another crazy quest, but she was determined to make sure this one ended differently. Glancing up she saw Garrus watching her. He nodded and she briefly wondered if he had thought the same thing.

Shepard's death had taken its toll on him as well, she had been too caught up in her own grief at the time to really notice, but she knew. Now Garrus was back too, bearing scars from the time the crew had been apart. It was something he shared with Shepard, making her wonder if she was the only one of the old crew that didn't have scars on the outside to show from those long two years.

A few minutes later the Normandy grew large outside the view port and her ponderings were momentarily forgotten as she found herself sitting on the edge of her seat, looking out the port like a child eyeing a present. As a quarian she had a natural affinity for ships, but as an engineer it went far beyond the usual appreciation. The first thing she noted that the new Normandy was bigger, considerably so. The vessel was like a sleek bird of prey, all smooth curves with backswept wings out-stretched.

"Keelah, Shepard! She must be twice as a big," she breathed.

"A little more even. Just over twice as long and double the mass, four total decks with the fourth being double-tiered to include the main cargo and shuttle bay," he said with a laugh. Tali started when he continued, realizing he had moved to kneel next to her seat and was looking over her shoulder. "Not to mention superior heat dissipation, higher capacity sinks for the stealth system, and triple the drive output. Maybe even a little more if we push her. We're still going over plans for more upgrades, even. She has the capacity, just need the know how."

"Ah, now I see why you came for me," Tali said dryly. "Needed a quarian engineer to do all your dirty mechanical work?"

"What can I say? I like to work with the best."

She laughed, but again felt her face heat again. The banter was familiar and pleasant, but the compliment was nice all the same. They both continued to watch until both shuttles had safely settled into their docking cradles and the door opened to the transition airlock. Shepard, Tali, and Garrus stepped in first at Jacob's insistence, the rest of the crewmen and Zaeed waiting for the next cycle. They stood there for a few long moments as the system did its work.

"I meant to tell you back on Freedom's Progress, Tali, but I like your new suit. I got so used to the old one it was quite a surprise," Shepard said, breaking the silence.

Tali had to admit she wondered if anyone had noticed. She was proud of her new suit, it was similar to her old one but subtley different and of higher quality. The material was of finer grade, looking more like polished leather than the dull rubber of the old suit. Harness straps she had added for both utility and the need to personalize something she lived in accentuated her form nicely, even if she loathed to admit that part. Like all quarian environment suits it was skin tight, from her three toed feet to the sealed helmet over her face that was covered in her traditional veil, the same deep purple color that the Normandy crew had learned to identify with her. The metal shin guards that protected her digitgrade lower legs were the only part that was identical to her old suit, complete with the same combat knife strapped to her leg. What passed for her shoes was actually another part of her suit, a second layer of protection. They were almost like gloves, specifically suited to her pair of large toes and rear third toe with metal soles to protect her feet.

"Thank you. It's traditional for us to be given a new suit after our Pilgrimage. Sort of the final step into adulthood," she explained, then continued in a more mischievous tone. "But you're just being nice because I'm onto your plan to lure me back to fix your engines so you don't have to get dirty."

"With all the upgrades we're talking about, chances are I'll be down there helping you, so my cunning plan must not be working too well. Besides, if I'm going to get dirty, I figure might as well be with a friend," Shepard said and then stopped, reaching up to hold his face in his hand. "That... came out sounding very different than it did in my head. Let's just pretend I didn't just say that."

Garrus' howl of laughter left him doubled over, hands on his knees, and continued even as the airlock completed its cycle. The door opened to reveal some of the human crew that Tali didn't recognize, looking very perplexed. A dark haired woman in an outfit that might actually have been tighter than her own necessarily constrictive environment suit stood with a hand on her hip, one eyebrow cocked. Even Tali couldn't help but notice how much she 'filled out' the uniform.

"Commander?"

"It's nothing, Miranda. Just Garrus' twisted sense of humor," he said, tossing the turian a dirty look. For his part Garrus had managed to get control of himself, jaw clenched tightly.

"Of course," the woman said, drawing out the words skeptically before looking to Tali. "And you must be Tali'Zorah."

Remembering her promise to be open minded, Tali stepped forward and introduced herself. "Tali'Zorah vas Neema nar Raaya."

"Well, I hope you're worth the loyalty you inspire," she said, before turning her attention back to the commander. "I've had Joker put us back on course for Purgatory. We'll be long gone by the time the geth frigate comes around."

"Garrus, if you're done laughing it up see if you can get with Jacob to do an inventory of our gear. I just realized I left my damn rifle on the planet with Kal'Reegar. I'm going to go introduce Ken and Gabby to the Normandy's new chief engineer," Shepard said.

"Chief engineer?" Miranda asked then held up a hand when Shepard opened his mouth. "Alright, I'll make sure she gets the proper clearances to access all ship systems."

"Chief engineer?" Tali echoed.

"You've learned more about starship engineering than most people have ever learned. Seems logical to me."

The commanders imply shrugged casually at the comment. A feminine voice came from Shepard's wrist, interrupting any attempt for Tali to question the sudden appointment. She noticed Miranda's omni-tool activate as well.

"Commander, I have already provided Tali'Zorah with all necessary clearances to access the ship for security purposes. Ms. Lawson will be able to finish with any providing access to any restricted databases that I cannot access."

Tali looked to Shepard, a little confused. Apparently his crew was extremely prompt. "Who is that?"

"Sooo... you forgot to mention the AI, huh?" Garrus asked.

"The WHAT?"

* * *

"I was actually surprised, they're Cerberus but they're very nice. I figured they would be rude to me as soon as you were out of the room," Tali said.

She, Garrus, and Shepard were all sitting in the briefing room, seated lazily around one end of the table. Shepard had wanted to at least grab a few moments before the mission drove forward to try and catch up. After an extremely amused Garrus was sent to check the armory after exiting the shuttle, he had spent the entire trip to engineering trying to explain EDI to Tali. She had been... less than enthused, but had finally relented after Shepard had continued to cite the numerous safety measures and the instances where EDI had been vital to their success.

Shepard smiled. "I told you they were good people. Donelly ended up on the Normandy because he got in trouble with brass for being too outspoken for defending us after... well, after I was gone."

"A few of the crewmen look at me a little sideways, but nothing overt and they're not even in the majority," Garrus added. His mandibles seemed to wiggle in concentration. "Now that I think about, I think your 'assistant' was coming on to me, Boss."

They shared a short laugh before Tali finally forced herself to speak up again. The same feeling had been gnawing at her for the past few hours, ever since being on the shuttle, and while she hated to foist her problems on others she felt she needed to say something aloud.

"I wanted to thank you, Shepard. But I don't know how I feel about... well, after what happened on the planet, about being your lead engineer. I mean its like a dream come true on a ship like the Normandy but so many people died today, people that were supposed to be my team... it feels like I'm being rewarded after screwing up and I'm talking too much but what I'm trying to say is I don't know if I can accept the position. Maybe I should just..."

Tali realized that she was babbling, it happened when she was nervous or unsure, it always had. Over time she had gotten better at controlling it, like her nervous gestures with her hands, but it still happened. While trying to get a reign on it she saw Shepard and Garrus exchange a look, a frown on the turian's face as he nodded at the commander. Before she could continue Shepard stood and placed his hands on the back of the chair he'd been sitting in.

"What happened on Haestrom wasn't your fault, Tali," he said, looking right at her. Usually people didn't even give quarians their full attention, but he always seemed to lock eyes when he spoke, maybe it was part of what gave his words such intensity.

"They were my responsibility, Shepard, and now they're dead... that's my fault."

"No, it's not," Shepard repeated. "It's mine."

The young quarian was nonplussed. In her time aboard the Normandy she had never seen Shepard shirk responsibility for a decision, but now he was laying claim to something that didn't have anything to do with him. She watched his hands tighten on the back of the chair, knuckles going white for a moment before he released it and turned away, facing the wall with its meaningless readouts and star charts. She was about to object when Garrus touched her lightly on the shoulder, shaking his head.

Shepard clasped his arms behind his back and spoke again. "The geth weren't there because of your team, Tali. They were there because you're associated with me and a Reaper named Harbinger seems to have taken a special interest. It laid a trap for you to get to me. If Cerberus hadn't brought me back, the geth would likely have never known your team had been to that planet."

"It might have been your team, but no amount of skill or training was going to prepare you for a war when you were equipped for a stealth op. And I won't let it keep you from doing the job I know you'll do better than anyone on this ship," Shepard continued, turning to look at her once more. The look in his eyes was the same she'd seen back on Virmire. "I'm sorry, Tali."

Once again her brain wasn't fast enough to formulate a response while processing this new information. He had made an excuse of needing to take care of something on the CIC and left the room, leaving her with Garrus sitting next to her looking thoughtful. A number of thoughts ran through her head.

"He's changed. We all have," Garrus said after giving her a few more moments to process.

"I'm starting to see that," she said. "When you two walked through the door on Haestrom I was just so happy to see you both, I thought it was the same old Shepard, but I'm guessing you've noticed more..."

The turian nodded. "He's still Shepard. Stubborn, determined, and all too willing to take on everyone else's problems. But there have been little things he's said. Moments where he's lost his temper, which he never did back on the old Normandy."

"So what now?"

"I don't know," Garrus sighed. "But I know that I'm glad you're here. I get the feeling if we're going to find out what is eating him it'll have to be one of the old team. He spent as much time talking to you as he did anyone on the ship. Just... keep an eye on him, okay? We just got him back, would be a shame if we let him get himself killed being a reckless fool."

"Agreed," Tali said. The very thought was like a weight in her mind. Before the destruction of the Normandy if someone had asked her if Commander Shepard could be killed, her answer would have been an emphatic 'no'. One devastating attack later and two years of mourning had destroyed that illusion, but the idea of Shepard doubting himself might have been even more disturbing. If any one word had ever been used most to describe him 'confident' most likely ranked high on the list.

"You... don't think Cerberus did something to him, do you?" she asked.

"I wouldn't put it past them, but no, I hacked into the medical files. They did... a lot to bring him back, but I don't think they messed with his head," the turian said. "Whatever is wrong with him, I think he's doing it to himself."

"And this thing with the Reaper?"

"Just another sentient killer spaceship, nothing we haven't dealt with before," Garrus said with a smirk. "Shepard thinks that it's still out in the void, though, and is just using the Collectors. Makes sense, otherwise you'd figure it would have been knocking on our door immediately after we beat Sovereign when we were weak."

"Sounds like we've got our work cut out for us, then," Tali said, standing.

Garrus nodded. "It does. I'm going to get back down to the main battery and finish the calculations for the weapon upgrades I've been working on. And Tali?"

"Yes?"

"It's good to have you back."

Within her helmet, the quarian smiled. "It's good to be back."

The Normandy was truly a marvel. She had been so excited the day that Shepard had let her join his crew, all that time ago back on the Citadel, and then actually gave her access to the engine room of his ship. Now she was standing in the engineering section, her engineering section of that vessel's successor and superior. Fingers danced across her terminal, trying to absorb as much information as quickly as possible. Shepard had been right when he said there was even more potential still left in the ship's hull, power levels were still below max draw even while moving at top speed and there were a number of systems that weren't optimized. She noticed something in one of the sensor capacitors, tapped a button and adjusted the power balance.

"Oh 'ell, just got a power spike in the... no wait, level'n off," Donnelly said in surprise. "The 'ell just happened?"

"I routed the power flow to avoid the secondary capacitor when the system isn't actively scanning. It should increase idle power availability by a few points," Tali said, not even looking up from her console.

"Well, see there Gabby? Our new quarian overlord 'asn't been on the job for a day and we're already improve'n. And she don' even make us wear collars."

"Ken!"

"What? I'm just fun'n with the lass."

"My name is Tali, for the record," she said, walking over to where the two other engineers stood, a hand resting on her hip. "And I had not considered the collar idea before... I wonder if Shepard would allow it? It would probably increase efficiency."

"See?" Donnelly said and then stopped. "I... what?"

This was another of those rare times Tali was actually happy for the mask. Otherwise she doubted she could have kept a straight face as she continued.

"Well on the Migrant Fleet we all wear suits, and the suits have communication devices and the like so we always know where everyone is. A simple metal collar would probably serve the same purpose for humans."

"I... well, ma'am, I was.. kidding. You know, humans aren't really fond of collars an such," the man said, glancing back at Gabby for support and finding none. His hand nervously went to his own neck. "Well, certain humans are but I don't be one of 'em."

"I am aware, Mr. Donnelly," Tali said, unmuting the speaker on her suit. Her laughter carried through the engineering area, with Gabby soon joining in as the quarian made her way back to her terminal.

"And let that be a lesson to you, Donnelly. I've served on a ship with Shepard before. He had me convinced for a week that there was some kind of bizarre four legged creature with... hooves I think it was that was native to your planet and had a single horn that could cure diseases. A you-ni-corn I think he called it."

"Ah now that's just cruel. I see what's go'n on 'ere, though," he said. "The Normandy's a she, you're a she Gabby. And Miss Tali is... ah, clearly a she. I'm totally surrounded by female energy. I'm feel'n a wee bit threatened now."

Gabby patted him on the shoulder and smiled. "It's good for you, keeps you out of trouble."

Any retort was cut off as Joker's voice came over the intercom.

"Hey, Tali. We're approaching the Purgatory and it sounds like Shepard wants to put the old college team together for this. You should probably head towards the CIC. Oh and being as its a ship full of repressed prisoners, I'm going to go out on a limb and suggest everyone's favorite accessory: shotgun. Goes with everything."

Tali tapped the intercom button and responded with a laugh. "Understood, Joker. I'll head that way."

Tali quickly made her way out of main engineering and down the stairs to the locker below. Her pistol went on her hip, shotgun to the small of her back. Shepard had tried to insist on setting her up in her own quarters but she had finally talked him out of the idea. She was going to spend the largest part of her day in engineering anyways and all of her personal possession either fit in a small locker or were kept on her person. She briefly touched the small item in one of her pockets and shook her head. She carried what mattered to her and she would feel awkward with an entire room.

She passed the scarred mercenary that had been part of the team on Haestrom in the hall, but he only acknowledged her with a nod, apparently engrossed in the tech manual for a rifle of some kind that was clutched in one hand. After that it was only a short ride in the elevator to the CIC where she saw Shepard waiting by the airlock. Next to him was Miranda.

"I thought Garrus was coming?"

"Said he was working on something 'special' and since you were here, you could take over 'Shepard sitting'," the commander replied, making generous use of finger quotes. "I was unaware that I required adult supervision."

At that Tali noticed that the hint of a smile tugged at the corner of the human woman's lips. Apparently she could show emotion. It was good note, their intial meeting had oddly enough reminded Tali of her father, all business and efficiency. Combined with her obvious allegiance to Cerberus it hadn't exactly warmed her to Tali.

"Well, you do have a knack for finding trouble," Tali said.

"Indeed. Sometimes even in alleyways on the Citadel," he shot back as they stepped into the airlock.

"Hah hah."

Shepard looked over his shoulder at her with that smartass grin, and for a moment it was like he'd never been gone. "I know, I'm a riot."

The airlock finished cycling and the door opened. A long corridor lay before them, but no one was there to greet them. With a shrug the trio headed farther in until they finally came to a security check point. Half a dozen Blue Suns mercenaries stood infront of a heavy blast door. The one that was apparently in charge stepped forward and raised his hand.

"That's far enough."

"Friendly. I'm here to make a pick up," Shepard said.

"Right. You can talk to the guys in processing, but this isn't a tour ship. Your weapons and your bucket stay here. Last thing we need running around the damn station."

She saw Shepard's shoulders tense. When he spoke it in a far less pleasant tone. "My weapons and my people go where I go. We're not some of your inmates, merc. Show some respect."

"Look, I don't give a damn what you want. Either you turn over your weapons or you become one of those inmates," the guard growled, becoming agitated. The other guards were more alert now, paying attention to the altercation with hands on their weapons. The turian glanced between Miranda and Tali. "I don't think either of your girls would do too well in general pop. Now relinquish your damn weapons."

"How about I relinquish one round, right between your eyes?" Shepard asked, his heavy pistol already in hand and pointed at the lead guard's head so quickly she had barely seen it. Combat reflexes had taken over, however, and her shotgun was already extending in her hand before she realized it. Miranda stood to the commander's other side, her own pistol aimed at one of the mercenary's behind the leader.

His voice was cold and rang loudly in the sudden silence in the corridor when he spoke again. "I don't respond well to threats. The result is even less favorable when they're directed against my crew. You do not want to be one of the people on my bad side."

"They have a tendency to die suddenly," Tali added, playing along with Shepard's bluff. At least she hoped it was a bluff. Was this what Garrus had been talking about? She couldn't take the time to read his face and maintain the attention on the potential firefight that was about to erupt, but a quick glance was enough to make her wonder. The bravado and racism of the guard had pissed her off too, but she would have just waited on the ship if she had realized it was going to cause a problem.

"Stand down!"

The guards hesitated for a moment before lowering their weapons. It was an extremely long moment before finally doing the same and the room as a whole seemed to take a deep breath. A turian in heavy armor that carried himself with obvious authority stood at the now opened blast door.

"I think our facility can accommodate three armed guests. Let them pass. I'm Warden Kuril. Please come this way and we'll finish this transaction."

Tali stowed her shotgun and shot the lead guard an angry look, even if he couldn't see her. The entire situation was absurd. If Shepard was as on edge as Garrus had claimed, and she was starting to see it, then the idiots they'd just been dealing with were oblivious of how close they'd just come to being corpses. As they walked she looked out at the 'prison yard' that seemed to make up a good portion of the large vessel's interior. The amount of space was impressive to her, in the Flotilla a ship like this would have been a great resource, providing living space for thousands of her people.

"I apologize for my men, they sometimes become a little on edge here. We're doing the galaxy a service, keeping its most dangerous inhabitants safe where they can't escape. But its hard, dangerous work. And some of them aren't the most... polite," the warden explained, glancing back at Tali.

Shepard rolled his shoulders and sighed. "Well, just tell us where we can pick up this 'Jack' and we'll be out of your hair. Though I wasn't aware you could buy people out of prison."

"Certain... arrangements can be made, as was made with Cerberus."

"Let's just make sure we don't have any more 'issues', shall we?" Miranda asked.

Tali couldn't help but agree with the sentiment.

She had become uneasy as they made their way through the prison ship, with the senseless brutality show by the guards combined with the true derangement of some of the prisoners. It was only too late when they realized that Kuril's 'noble cause' was really a slaver's meat market of the galaxy's worst criminals. Apparently the warden had decided to dodge incident at the first checkpoint only to let his greed get the better of him. He wanted Shepard as one of his prisoners, a commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. The guards' clumsy attempt to capture them only ended with chaos when Shepard had decided to release Jack from cryo-stasis.

The fact that 'Jack' was a nearly nude human woman with a shaved head and biotic powers that would have given Liara pause was quite a surprise to Tali. And then the world went insane. Jack took the security mechs apart, and her release also released the entire deck's lockdown. They quickly made their way through the corridors of the ship, fire and smoke becoming more ever-present as the minutes ticked by. She saw Shepard touch his helmet, obviously conversing with the Normandy and telling them to hold position. Brutality was everywhere, prisoners and guards fighting, guards executing fleeing prisoners... and other more horrific scenes of depravity. Shepard's pistol barked and a prisoner was thrown back against a wall before sliding down, lifeless.

"Dammit, Shepard. This is a mess," Miranda cursed. "If any of these psychopaths make it to the shuttles I don't want to think what will happen. And it's getting to where I can't tell the difference between the guards and the murderers."

"There isn't one," Shepard said, standing over the body of the guard that the prisoner had been mutilating. She had seen battle wounds before, the dead and dying, but Tali still felt her stomach rise looking at the body.

"So what are you orders?"

"You said flying in this place is a maximum security prison, correct? Capital crimes?"

"Yes, Commander. Governments pay to have their worst criminals sent here so there isn't a risk of them escaping on their own worlds."

"Then we find Jack and get out of here. Shoot anything else that moves," Shepard ordered. "And then I have Joker cut this place in half with those shiny new guns Garrus has been working on for the past week."

His words sent a chill down Tali's spine. There had to be over a thousand prisoners on this ship, along with close to a hundred guards. Before she might remained quiet, content to follow the leader, but time changed everyone. "Shepard, are you sure? This isn't like we're in a battle... it would be..."

"Murder?" he asked.

She could only nod.

"I know," Shepard said quietly and turned, replacing the pistol at his hip and readying the Vindicator assault rifle as he stepped through the door and into the chaos beyond. Miranda looked back at her, a questioning look her face, as if she would have the answers for what was going on. All she could do was shake her head and follow the commander.

They finally caught up with Jack only a short distance from where the Normandy was docked. Two Blue Suns mercenaries raised their weapons only to be sent flying, the tell tale blue glow of biotic power wrapping around their bodies. Each man hit the wall with a sickening thud and slumped to the floor like a puppet with its strings cut. The convict was clearly making her way for the airlock when she saw the vessel outside, noticing the marking on its side.

"Shit! Cerberus?" Jack cursed, her body seeming to pulse with biotic energy. She slammed a hand against the bulkhead and the quarian could feel the deck plating under foot shudder. She was odd looking for a human, at least in Tali's experience. Her head was shaved and her body was covered in intricate tattoos, not to mention that she wore far less than any human that Tali had ever seen. Mostly just a collection of leather that was probably less material than the harnesses she wore over her suit and a pair of loose pants.

At the sound of an activating weapon, she whirled. Shepard stood, weapon drawn. "Jack, I take it?"

"Yea, who the fuck are you?"

"My name is Commander Shepard. I came here for you. I'm also the one that let you out," he said. His tone was even, almost banal. Ever since the brief conversation in the corridor outside the processing room he seemed to have been on autopilot.

"Well ain't that great, Cerberus," the woman responded. The way she said the organization's name contained more vitriol than Tali had managed to muster. "Anyone reason I shouldn't take you apart like the rest of these clowns?"

"Because I'm not Cerberus. I'm just working with them at the moment. I'm here to recruit you for a mission. A dangerous one. But that's all irrelevant. Mostly I'm your only ride out of here," Shepard explained, weapon still held straight and level. "The decision is yours. I'm told you're vital to the mission because of your abilities. Honestly, all I've seen on this ship are murders and psychopaths. So I've got no particular burning desire to bring you along."

Jack seemed to think about it for a few long moments. Finally she nodded. "Alright, but I want to make a deal. You say you're working with Cerberus? I want their files on me. Everything they got."

"Fine. I'll give you your files, but also keep this in mind. My ship, my rules. Nothing I've seen here gives me much faith in your moral compass. You step out of line, you hurt my crew, and I'll personally put you down."

"It's a deal. So what are we waiting on?"

Shepard lowered his weapon and motioned towards the airlock. For a moment it looked like Miranda would make some objection to the commander promising classified files, but apparently thought better of it. When they reached the airlock he motioned them through, simply telling Miranda to make sure their 'newest recruit' was checked out in medical and given somewhere she wouldn't interfere with the rest of the crew. Tali noticed two guards waiting in the airlock when it opened. Apparently Shepard had radioed ahead for the 'special welcome'.

The wait for the airlock to finish its first cycle seemed an eternity. Only after the door had shut behind them and the decontamination cycle began did Shepard finally speak. "I wish I hadn't gotten you involved in this one, Tali."

"Who would you have rather had? I'm not a child anymore, Shepard," she replied. The decision he'd made didn't sit entirely well with her. Logically, she could see the reasoning. The men and women on board this ship were, in general, monsters. But to kill them all? Had he really changed so much? "Would it somehow have been better if I'd heard about this after the fact?"

"That's not what I meant."

"Then what did you mean?" Tali asked, turning towards him. She was angry now. At him for the decision, at herself for not objecting further before. At Cerberus for whatever they had done to him that had changed him. "How do we justify this?"

Shepard still didn't look at her when he spoke. "And if I don't do it? What happens when a rescue ship arrives and a few of those prisoners get on board with weapons? How many people die on Noveria or Feros when one of those psychopaths lands on their worlds and starts hurting and killing."

"And the guards? Are they all so corrupt? Or the prisoners? What if some of them were wrongly convicted. We'll be killing innocent people. Keelah, look at me, Shepard!" she demanded, grabbing his shoulder plate before she even realized what she was doing and yanking him around to face her. Shepard was apparently equally surprised, not resisting the sudden pull.

"I know, Tali," Shepard replied. The look on his face made her anger dissipate in a moment. She realized she wasn't looking at the face of a man Cerberus had turned into a ruthless killer, uncaring of the consequences. She was looking at the face of a man that knew full well what he was about to do, and it was slowly killing something inside him. For a brief second she saw the inner workings behind his blue eyes and not just the cocky warrior and confident leader. Shepard gently reached up and removed her hand, looking down at her three fingered hand in his own, shaking his head. "That's why I wish I hadn't brought you. You don't deserve to have that kind of blood on these hands. Even by association."

The airlock completed its cycle and the door hissed open, making her jump and withdraw her hand. That brief moment was broken and he stepped out of the airlock. She followed after him slowly, watching as he stepped up to the cockpit, resting his hand on the back of Joker's chair.

"I'm relieving you for the next half hour, Joker. Why don't you go down to the mess. I can manage things from here with EDI's help."

"Commander? What are you-"

"That was an order, Lieutenant."

"I... sir," the pilot said and awkwardly stood, getting his footing and limping from the cockpit, looking very confused. He glanced back over his shoulder before giving a shrug and heading towards the elevator. He gave her a questioning look as he passed, but Tali said nothing. She just stood and watched as the commander sat down, carefully guiding the Normandy out of dock. A tear rolled down her cheek, disguised by her mask, as always.

* * *

Half an hour later, the Normandy engaged its mass effect core and jumped away. Joker was back at the helm now, Shepard having relinquished his chair back to him. For his part the commander hadn't said a word, simply nodding at Joker and walking to the elevator. The CIC had been quiet and still. Behind them, wreckage burned fitfully in space, using up what little oxygen was left pumping from the pockets in the slag. Garrus' upgraded armament had been devastatingly effective, two azure beams burning through the massive prison ships hull in a single volley like the twin eyes of an enraged god looking down upon his creations with contempt.

The distress beacon for the Purgatory pulsed a final time. And then was silent.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Quiet Struggle

It had been the better part of an hour since Shepard had made his way up to his cabin, but he hadn't moved. He still sat at his terminal, staring through it at nothing beyond. A bottle sat next to his right hand, along with a glass, half filled with an amber liquid. He had acquired it on Omega at Aria's club. The brandy Chakwas had mentioned had caught his eye, and he'd bought a bottle to replace her lost reserve. On an impulse he'd also purchased the bottle of scotch, thinking that it couldn't hurt to have something for special occasions or the like. He'd poured the drink when he had first sat down, but hadn't touched it yet.

Was this how it happened? One small step, then another, then you were running headlong down that hill, straight into the hell's warm embrace. A short time ago his finger had hovered over a button, and with a single final press blue fire had leapt from the Normandy's main guns, cracking open the prison ship like an overripe fruit. A single shot, a single button, and he'd probably killed more people than in his entire career as an Alliance soldier. Murderers. Rapists. Psychopaths. Sadists. Those were the terms he kept repeating to himself. They weren't innocents, he'd just executed a ship full of monsters for the good of the galaxy. If he repeated it enough he might believe it. Of course if he really believed that then he would have put a bullet in Jack instead of recruiting her. After all, she'd been kept with the worst and most dangerous prisoners.

Shepard grasped the glass in his hand, raising it to his lips and downing the alcohol in a single long gulp. The taste was harsh, the liquid feeling thick and warm as it slid down his throat to rest in his stomach. Covering his mouth with his wrist he coughed, blinking away tears. Apparently what Omega called 'Scotch' was mostly a barely refined alcohol that might have once seen a vid on the human country of Scotland. And that vid had been poorly translated.

He didn't know which was worse, in truth. The knowledge of what he'd done, or the anger he'd heard in his friend's voice at his decision. Even Miranda, the queen of Cerberus and 'the ends justify the means', had looked mildly unsettled, but that still cut far less the sound of anger, tinged with disappointment, from Tali. He had recruited two of his old crew, two of his best friends, and what did he have to show for it? Garrus had nearly died within an hour of their meeting, needing emergency surgery and cybernetic replacement to survive. A day after Tali had accepted his offer, he had probably destroyed whatever favorable impression she had of him as a person. Somewhere deep in the back of his mind he realized just how much he prized that opinion.

Hero to monster all in a single day. Without thinking he had poured another glass of the harsh liquor.

"One more can't hurt."

* * *

"I'm... concerned."

"I sounds like to me the man made a command decision, a hard decision that needed to be made," the Illusive Man said, glass in hand.

Miranda nodded. She stood in the briefing room with her hands behind her back. "Very true, but it doesn't fit the psych profile we prepared for him. Since we awoke him on the station during the attack all the profiles have been a little off. He's more reckless, seems to have trouble controlling his temper. I thought part of this entire project was to bring back him unchanged? To give humanity a beacon to rally behind while we did the work behind the scenes."

The seated man shrugged. "As long as he's capable of doing what we need done, then I would say he is worth every credit. And if his new found life perspective makes him more able to see things from our point of view and make the tough decisions no matter the personal consequences? A bonus."

"Understood, sir. I'm just worried about his stability," she stated. Over the years Miranda had gotten very good at reading people. She had to be, she had been bred for it and trained for it all her life. With her enhanced abilities more was expected of her, and by that virtue more people were also interested to see her fail. Avoiding those pitfalls meant knowing when someone was lying to you, when there was a problem that lay below the surface. With Shepard, it was hard. It was almost as if he switched on and off, in combat he was unreadable and indifferent, almost casual in how he seemed to grasp the ebb and flow of battle. More and more often, however, he seemed to be strained outside of combat. For a brief moment she had truly thought he was going to pull the trigger during the tense encounter with the guards. And then the decision to destroy the facility to prevent any of the prisoners from escaping had completely caught her by surprise.

"If you feel that we're in danger of losing him completely or that he has become compromised to the point that the mission is in jeopardy, then by all means take action. I trust your judgment, Ms. Lawson. But he's a soldier and a good one. He'll put aside his personal issues and get the job done. After that it's not our concern."

"I'll keep that in mind. Has any progress been made with the data we collected on Horizon?"

"Some, but none of it useful in giving us a way to strike at their heart. In the mean time I've located three more potential recruits. I believe Shepard's intention when we last spoke were to visit the Citadel and report to the Council?"

"Yes, he feels that they need to be made aware of the threat. I've told him that they won't listen, but his sense of duty is very... intractable," Miranda said.

"It's of no consequence. At worst he wastes a few ours, at best he might be able to actually get something useful out of those bumbling politicians. I've acquired the services of on Kasumi Goto as I believe someone with her unique talents could be of use. She's located on the Citadel, which also guarantees that this won't be a wasted trip. Keep pushing Shepard forward and keep an eye on him."

"I will."

With that she cut the connection, bringing up her omni-tool to skim the data the Illusive Man had sent. They'd be at the Citadel within the next day.

* * *

Garrus' clawed fingers danced across the control screens. He had not been expecting to test those new weapons so soon, considering he'd just finished the installation a day ago. The calibrations hadn't even been complete, which had been obvious when they had been fired and all the lights in the Normandy had dimmed for a moment. The engineer with the funny accept had been extremely vocal in his displeasure at that. Still, between the changes made in engineering and his corrections in the main battery's computers, he felt certain that it wouldn't happen again.

The crew had been rather on edge since the previous day and the destruction of Purgatory. It had honestly come as a shock to the turian as well. He'd barely made it to the CIC after hearing the main guns power up, only to see Shepard stepping out of the cockpit to allow Joker to retake his position and then heading straight for the elevator. A few moments later Tali had brushed passed him as well, not saying a word. He had eventually had to ask Miranda exactly what had happened.

"You taught me that sometimes we have to take justice into our own hands to protect the innocent, Shepard. I just never expected that it would ever need to be done on such a considerable scale," Garrus muttered to himself, locking in the power settings so that they wouldn't overload the capacitors next time the cannons fired. He could understand the decision, though he was glad he hadn't been forced to make it.

He just hoped Shepard knew what he was doing. The look on his face as he had stepped past Garrus had been... blank, almost like he wasn't simply going through the motions. A small part of the turian was worried that if the commander kept falling farther into whatever darkness he'd found that before long he'd be in to deep to pull himself out. That worried Garrus far more than any Reaper.

* * *

"Okay, it looks like our turian friend 'as locked in the power feed equations for those fancy new fire spitters," Donnelly said. "If we're going to be slapping new tech on the Normandy I wish we'd get some notice before we go flip'n switches, though. There's a whole bunch of raw power down here I'd rather not have go explode'n about."

Gabby shrugged. "I think we'll be fine. I'm sure the commander wouldn't have, you know, fired them off if he didn't think it was necessary at the time."

Necessary. That was the word that kept popping up in conversation and in Tali's head. It had kept her from restful sleep for most the night. Shepard had done what was necessary, or at least what he believed necessary. It wasn't that she entirely disagreed. She had seen what some of those monsters had done on board the prison ship, the sheer depravity and brutality. After laying awake in her pod she had finally realized it wasn't even the destruction of the Purgatory that had so bothered her. It was the loss of the vision, the ideal of the perfect hero, in her mind.

Tali's first meeting with Shepard had seemingly forever solidified her impression of him. The hero, rushing to help without thought or hesitation, everything she wanted to believe was true from the vids of spectres and errant hers she had smuggled onto her omni-tool as a child. Then on board the Normandy he'd become the first real friend she'd ever had outside the Flotilla, genuinely interested in hearing about her people, the fleet, her. During the hunt for Saren the crew of the Normandy had gotten to know him well, she and Garrus most of all. They had been a great team, they had stood back to back in the worst situations. It had been she and Garrus standing at his side when he made the fateful call to leave Kaidan behind on Virmire. Only after he had died did she realize how much of a void had been left in her life.

Then he'd come back from the dead, asked her to join him again. When she couldn't, Shepard accepted that, but hadn't been content to go about his business. No, he'd played hero once more, walking through fire to save her from an impossible situation. But it had only been yesterday that she finally, for the briefest moments, saw just him. Not the Hero of the Citadel or Savior of Feros, or even her own hero from the numerous times he'd saved her life, but the man underneath.

For the first time she came to the realization of something more disturbing. John Shepard wasn't immortal or unstoppable. He was just a man that had seen a lifetime's worth of death and didn't see the end in sight.

* * *

"Uh, Commander. ETA one hour to the Citadel."

Joker's voice was like nails on a chalkboard. He quickly slapped the intercom in acknowledgment and sat up, shaking his head and immediately regretting the action as pain shot through the front of his skull. Looking around he realized he'd fallen asleep at his terminal, or possibly passed out was the better descriptor considering the half empty bottle that sat open to his right. He frowned and screwed the top on the bottle and stowed it back in his desk, fishing out some painkillers at the same time.

"Copy that, Joker. Tell... ah..." he said, wincing. "Tell Miranda to put together a list of any supplies we can use a restock on."

"Aye aye, Commander."

He stripped off his clothes, leaving them discarded across his chair before activating the shower. Numerous odd technologies had been tried to replace the shower when humanity had found their way into space, none of which had actually worked. Anything based on sonic energy that could clean a human also tended to be rather unpleasant to sit through, and nothing else actually removed the dirt and oil from human skin without being an irritant itself. In the end a simple conclusion was made: humans needed water. They liked to drink, they liked to bath in it, and it was just a necessity. This had thankfully led to extremely efficient reclamation systems and a variety of other innovations which had translated into at least some of the comforts of planetside life on board most starships, including the hot shower.

Looking into the mirror as the water warmed, Shepard couldn't help but be amazed that he didn't look like a complete jigsaw puzzle. Many of the scars he would have expected to have after the Normandy's destruction weren't present, healed as part of the Lazarus Project. Still, apparently his early awakening had meant they didn't quite finish the job. In a way he was a little thankful. The long, faded scar that ran along the bottom of his ribcage had been one of the only ways he'd had to confirm that he at least wasn't a clone or something equally horrific. It had been his constant reminder of the hell that had been Akuze, a painful memory every time he'd looked in the mirror, but at least it was his.

The warmth of the water eased at least a little of the soreness of his awkward sleep, even if it didn't much help the pounding of his head. After a few long minutes of letting the water roll over him he stepped out and dried off, quickly putting on a clean set of clothes and strapping on his armor. Shepard didn't bother with the helmet this time, this wasn't a tactical assault. He wanted the Council to see his face when he asked why they had spent the last two years doing nothing. By the time he reached the CIC deck the painkillers had thankfully begun to make themselves useful.

"Good morning, Commander," Kelly greeted him all too cheerfully.

"Good morning, yeoman," he responded, far less enthusiasm in his voice. Shepard watched as her eyes flicked across him. The painkiller and the shower had managed to wash away most of the nights over-indulgences, but he was sure his eyes were still a little bloodshot. She smiled once more and gestured to his console.

"I believe the Illusive Man sent you a message regarding a potential recruit on the Citadel. Also Miranda sent you a list of ship supplies and components for the proposed upgrades. You also had a number of other messages that arrived over the past few days. Due to the... emergency nature of the events of the past few days, I decided it was best not to bother you with anything that wasn't flagged as urgent."

The commander simply nodded, bringing up the information. Apparently their benefactor had secured the services of one of the best thieves in Council space, deciding she was a necessary addition to his crew. A day before he might have argued, but after the incident on Purgatory he was honestly concerned that he might lose a few crew members. Part of him had almost expected to see a message from Tali, saying she was leaving back to the Migrant Fleet. Instead he was shocked to see a message from the Migrant Fleet.

_From: Admiralty Board, Migrant Fleet_

_To: Commander Shepard, SSV Normandy_

_Per Tali'Zorah vas Neema's request as delivered with the data from Haestrom, her request for transfer to your command has been approved by the Admiralty Board. She may be required for additional duties to the Migrant Fleet but has been granted extended leeway in determining when her mission with you is complete. The decision was hers, but your position as Captain during her Pilgrimage may have made her more susceptible to your requests. The Board trusts that you will treat your new crew member with the respect and protection due to a proud member of the Migrant Fleet. Should any harm come to her due to negligence or malice on your part, this Board will take severe and appropriate action._

_Admiral Rael'Zorah_

_Addendum: My daughter spoke highly of you, Commander Shepard, and mourned your death as one of our own. I trust that her faith has not been misplaced._

The irony of receiving such a message the day after the events on the Purgatory hit him like the slug from a dreadnought. A dark, rueful laugh burst from his lips, causing a number of the crew to give him confused looks. He ignored them and checked the rest of the messages, forwarding any that needed review later to his private terminal, and finally sending the contact data for their next recruit to his omni-tool. Turning to head to the airlock he was surprised to see both Garrus and Tali waiting.

Garrus nodded at him. "If you're going to see the Council then we want to be there. We were there with you in the final battle against Saren. Seems only appropriate that we tag along for the far more dangerous mission: talking with politicians."

"Thanks," he replied, the only thing he was able to get out. A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Neither of them mentioned the previous day's events, but they were still there, ready to follow him. Whether or not he deserved it, that loyalty meant more than he could express.

A few minutes later Joker took them in. The Citadel looked much the same as it had the first time he'd seen it, though now he saw a handful of Alliance destroyers among the ships hovering over the station. It looked as if most, if not all, of the damage from the battle two years ago had been repaired. A quick conversation with the control tower and they were directed to a docking station that could accommodate the much larger Normandy. The pilot glanced of his shoulder and smirked.

"Don't worry, Commander. If they try to do any fancy lock down tricks this time around they're going to be in a hell of a surprise."

Shepard patted the back of the man's chair and nodded, moving to the airlock. Waiting for the airlock to cycle was an eternity. Then the door opened and they found themselves on the Citadel once more. The place was abuzz with activity, members of every species milling around the customs check point. He was surprised to note that one of the C-Sec agents at the desk was human. She was currently arguing with a turian over apparently contraband items on the station. He gave a shrug, moved past the mass of people and stepped into the security airlock. Apparently 'acting like you're supposed to be there' was still a valid tactic for avoiding lines.

"Well, security has certainly gotten tighter it seems," he commented.

"Yea, after the attack things got pretty crazy. They finally banned weapons on the Citadel unless you have some very special permits," Garrus explained.

"Guess we'll see if 'Former Spectre' counts as having a permit."

Garrus smirked. "At the very least you'll confuse the hell out of them."

As soon as the C-Sec agent at the end of the hall saw them, he raised a hand and placed the other near his side arm. "Whoa... I don't know how you got past customs but there are no weapons allowed on the Citadel. Please set those firearms down and step away from them slowly."

Shepard sighed. "Why don't you run your security scan first, Officer?"

The turian looked skeptical, but tapped a button on the console. A brief scan swiped over the trio and then a light flashed green. Then red. Then green again. Looking rather confused the C-sec agent glanced down at the console, hitting a few more keys. Finally he scratched his head and addressed them.

"I'm sorry, sir. Scan confirms your identity but... well, the computer seems to think you're dead. Spectre status revoked per listing as killed in action?"

"I've been getting that quite often lately," Shepard said, trying to brush off the comment. Having people talk about you in the past tense was slightly unsettling.

"Look, I've got no idea how to deal with this. Why don't you step through and speak to Captain Bailey. I'm sure he can figure it out."

The door slid open and Shepard motioned them to hurry through before someone decided to object. They found themselves in a small C-Sec office, where a grizzled looking human man in his forties was instructing one of the younger officers. His advice about putting the 'squeeze' on reluctant suspects certainly wasn't what he had remembered from his dealing with C-Sec before. The discussion was rather animated for a few moments until Shepard cleared his throat. The man turned to look at him.

"Are you Bailey? I was told to talk to you about some... record errors."

"What sort of errors?" the captain asked, taking a seat at his terminal and typing something in. Then he whistled. "Well I'll be god damned. Commander Shepard? That's a name I never thought I'd be seeing outside a memorial. But these are the best scanners in the galaxy and they say you're him down to the DNA. Hrm... got some serious hardware in there, though."

"Right," he agreed quickly, not wanting to get into a detailed discussion about those details. "Look, I've got business with the Council and I need to get this cleared up. What can we do?"

"Normally you'd have to check in with the Public Services office. Then with the Financial and Tax department. You'd be surprised how often 'Dead' is used as a tax dodge. After that it would be back through here through security for a background verification. Probably a medical examination too."

That was a long list entirely filled with things Shepard definitely did not want to get involved in. Noticing the way the way the man had made the comment, though, Shepard tried to muster his most friendly smile. "Right, well... that sounds like quiet a mess. Is there anything else we can to speed that process up for an old soldier?"

"Well, I could just hit this button here that tells the computer it was dumb and my security clearance would override it. Hows that sound?" Bailey asked, eyebrows raised.

"It sounds as if I'm going to like you, Bailey. I've been... out of the loop for awhile, seems like C-Sec has changed a good bit. Human agents, getting rough with the criminals?"

The man chuckled and pressed the button. "This ain't the Presidium. We've got all the problems a big city on Earth would have when it comes to cops. Policing this ward is like trying to police New York or LA. We can't make nice with the criminals around here. After the attacks C-Sec was hit hard, needed bodies, and we had the most experienced ones. Plus after you pulled the Council's bacon out of the fire humans were pretty popular around here. Didn't necessarily last, but we're here now."

Garrus looked intrigued. "C-Sec really has changed."

"So has the Citadel, it seems," Tali said.

"We get the job done. Used to be Alliance military, but that's hard on a family," Bailey explained. "Figured this would be an easier job. Better for the family life, but definitely wouldn't call it easy."

"Good to see someone willing to do it, though," Shepard said, shaking the man's hand. "I have to go deal with the politicians, but it was good to meet you, Bailey. Considering the way my days tend to go we'll probably be running into each other again."

The officer just laughed again, returning the handshake and going back to his original conversation. The Citadel had changed. More humans were around, bigger crowds... and apparently this part of the Citadel had been introduced to inter-active video advertisement, much to Shepard's displeasure. Every kiosk seemed to spring to life when he approached, as if his resurrection had been announced to every business in Council space. Maybe he should have let Bailey keep him 'dead'. He was jogging down one of the staircases in search of a transit terminal, when Garrus suddenly began to chuckle.

"Guess they decided the elevators were just too much of a pain," Garrus said, gesturing at the staircase.

Tali shrugged. "It's at least faster. Those elevators were atrociously slow."

"But such great bonding experiences," Garrus said, suddenly throwing an arm around the quarian's shoulders. "Remember those conversations we used to have about your people?"

"No," she said flatly. "I tried to block them out."

"Aww, c'mon, tell me about your immune system, Tali."

"You realize I have a shotgun, no?"

"Okay, maybe we'll continue this conversation later," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender. Shepard simply shook his head and continued down.

At least Garrus was still doing his best to lighten the mood, whether it was a good idea or not. It was clear Tali's heart wasn't quite in it, usually she gave just as good as she got, but then Garrus didn't give up so easily on most days. On another day he might have joined in, but the humor felt force, memories of the night before still fresh in his mind.

It only took a few more minutes to locate one of the transit terminals, along with another minute of arguing with the on-board VI regarding access to the Presidium for unauthorized visitors. In the end Tali had simply hacked the transport protocols just to keep him from putting a fist through the console.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly as they exited the transport, fists tight as he tried to shake off his frustration.

"As a quarian you get used to being told you can't go places," Tali said, giving a small shrug of her shoulders. "Seems like the Citadel has gotten ever less friendly since we were last here. Are you sure it's a good idea to drop in here unannounced?"

"Not completely unannounced. I sent Anderson a message just before the Illusive Man found out about the ambush on Haestrom. He'd apparently gotten some sort of tip that I wasn't quite as dead as originally suggested and after Horizon I'm that sure Williams sent him confirmation as soon as she could get in range to relay a message."

"You saw Ashley? What happened?" the quarian asked. "I thought she would have come back with you."

He felt his jaw tighten at the memory of the encounter on Horizon. Finally he just sighed and shook his head. "Ashley... wasn't interested in joining up again."

Behind him, Garrus scoffed. "Please, Shepard. The woman practically called you a traitor to your face and said that she'd kill you if Alliance command gave the order. You don't need to protect her reputation."

"I lost her trust. I shouldn't have expected her to just accept all this after two years," he replied.

"We did," Tali said quietly as she walked ahead, moving towards the ambassadorial wing. His walk slowed for a moment at the simple statement. Garrus looked like he had been attempting to form a rebuttal to his statement but ended up just giving a shrug at the young quarian's statement.

"I was going to include a more descriptive mention of how you're a stubborn idiot and other such colorful terms, but I think that sums it up rather more eloquently."

Shepard smiled slightly and kept moving. Exactly what he'd done to inspire the level of loyalty he had seen from these two he would never quite understand, but he was thankful nonetheless. That small, brutally honest voice that was tucked deep in the corner of his mind told him that if he'd lost both of them as well, what little grip he had on his life would have been lost by now. It was part of why he'd been so concerned at Tali's reaction on board the Purgatory. So few people were left that he would trust implicitly. He wasn't sure he'd have anything left if he drove them away as well.

Soon the trio found themselves at the ambassadorial quarters. Taking the lead Shepard hit the door controls and stepped inside. The offices were spacious, with a wide open terrace that overlooked the Presidium. It was definitely an office suited to the station of the first human to serve on the Citadel Council. At the sound of the door, Anderson had turned on his heel. At the sight of Shepard a broad smile broke across his face. Anderson was a tall, dark skinned man. He looked different out of the pressed military uniforms that Shepard had seen him wear in most the time of knowing him, but he still stood with that straightness that always identified someone that had spent a lifetime in the military. It seemed like there was more gray in his hair then when they had last spoken.

"Shepard? I almost thought it was all a sick joke, but it really is you," Anderson said, reaching out and grasping his hand firmly before pulling him into a quick embrace. Looking over Shepard's shoulder, Anderson nodded at his two companions. "Garrus, Tali'Zorah. It's good to see you both. I'd feared the worst when everyone fell out of contact."

"The last few years have been... interesting, Captain... er, I mean Councilor," Garrus said, unconsciously brushing his fingers across the scars on his face.

"I can only imagine. Your timing is good, Shepard, though I was expecting you a day or so ago from your message," Anderson said.

"Sorry, sir. You know me, I hate being late, but I received information about an impending ambush targeting Tali'Zorah and soldiers from the Quarian Migrant Fleet. I wasn't about to let good people die to keep an appointment, even with the Council. "

The older human smiled. "I understand, I wouldn't expect you abandon a friend in need. I have a meeting with the rest of the Council in a few minutes, just let me get some of my data together and we'll spring you on them first thing. They could use a good shaking up. On that note, Garrus... I figure you might be able to help me out with this. I need some info on your people. And maybe even a few good turian insults."

"Insults? My specialty," Garrus said. "Has our Council representative been a pain recently?"

"You could say that," Anderson said dryly.

Shepard shook his head and smiled, walking over to the expansive balcony and looking out over the Presidium. There was no evidence of the desperate battle that had been fought two years ago, everything had been restored, repaired, and cleaned. Once more it was a picture of idyllic beauty. He rested his hands on the railing and just watched the people below for a moment before turning his attention to Tali as she joined him, leaning forward on her elbows and silently observing. She stretched and Shepard noticed her back arch unconsciously almost like a cat. Then he snapped his attention away, realizing that his eyes had been flowing her form, noting the curve of her back and legs that was clearly outlined by her new environment suit.

"I did not just do that..." Shepard muttered to himself, feeling his face flush.

"What did you say, Commander?" Tali asked, cocking her head towards him.

"Nothing," he replied quickly. "I was just amazed at how little the Presidium has changed. If we hadn't been here I'd have never thought this place would have been so devastated during the attack."

A small laugh echoed from the mouth piece of her visor. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing. It seems odd. We first met in the wards below us, but this is where it all started. I was amazed when you agreed to let me join your crew."

"I can't imagine what it would be like if I hadn't."

"Well you'd probably be dea-" Tali said, stopping herself abruptly as she realized what she was about to say. Her head dipped slightly and she looked away. "Sorry."

"Don't be, it's the truth. And you can say it. 'Dead'," he repeated slowly, as if rolling the word around in his mouth to taste it. "I'll be honest with you, Tali. I'm still trying to wrap my head around that part. About... whatever I was in the time between, or whatever I am now for that matter. But that's my problem, not yours. I died two years ago, it's fact, not something you need to avoid."

He grimaced. The words were out of his mouth before he'd really considered them, but it was out there now. The last thing Shepard needed was the crew, his friends, thinking he was going crazy. To his surprise he felt a three fingered hand on his arm. Looking back to the quarian he could see her eyes shining through the purple haze of her visor.

"Losing you was our problem, Shepard. Just... we don't want it to happen again," Tali said quietly before withdrawing her hand. She motioned with her head back towards Garrus, her tone lighter. "Besides, that big blue bosh'tet would be lost without you."

"Ha. You may have a point," he said, unable to stop a faint chuckle from leaving his lips. The turian was apparently explaining something that had a look of puzzlement and slight revulsion on Anderson's face. Motioning for Tali to follow he went to rescue his former captain. He had learned long ago that when you asked Garrus for information, you'd best be very specific or plan to get more than you ever wanted to know.

"Ah, yes, I guess it is that time?" the councilor said. Turning to face the projectors on the wall, he quickly tapped few keys on his terminal and images quickly shimmered into view of the three representatives of the other council races. Shepard stood slightly behind Anderson, his hands behind his back in a military at rest posture. Garrus had made motions to leave but he had shook his head, indicating for both of them to take their places with him.

"Councilor, good to see you," the asari said, and then he saw her eyes widen slightly as she noticed that Anderson wasn't alone. "Shepard? We had heard reports but..."

"Your reports were correct in that respect at least. I am very much alive."

The salarian recovered quickly. "Amazing. We are heartened to know that you are among the living again, Commander Shepard. Though we also have disturbing reports of your involvement with Cerberus."

"A necessity, Councilor. Cerberus brought me back from the brink of death. I spent the last two years recovering. While I do not agree with their organization, they were willing to help combat the danger the Reaper's represent to the galaxy," Shepard said, looking at each of the councilors in turn, his voice become less pleasant. "Something apparently no one else has been willing to do, I am told."

"Ah yes, 'Reapers'. We dismissed those claims some time ago, Shepard. There was no evidence to support your theory of some hyper-advanced machine race coming to destroy us all," the turian councilor said, his voice laced with contempt as his fingers clawed the air in mocking quotes at the mention of the word 'Reaper'.

"No evidence?" Shepard asked, shocked. "What about Sovereign, this technology was clearly beyond anything the geth have developed. Or the base on Ilos!"

"A team sent to Ilos was unable to activate the VI you encountered, Shepard," the asari said. "And most of Saren's flagship was destroyed. What was recovered gave no evidence to prove that the vessel wasn't simply an advanced prototype of geth design. They have had three hundred years to advance their technology. We have no reason to believe in such an outlandish theory."

He could feel his anger rise, but he tried to keep it from his voice. It was that same rage that kept creeping up, filling his throat with acid, making him want to break something just to give it an outlet.

"You could believe it because I told you! I sacrificed hundreds of lives, human lives, to save this Council. And the thanks I get is to wake up two years later to learn that everything I tried to warn you about was brushed under the table, that the people that fought and bled with me are marginalized?"

"Human, the only reason you are not being arrested as a known associate of Cerberus is due to your previous actions in defense of the Citadel," the turian growled. "You disappear from service and return to us in a Cerberus vessel, a known terrorist organization, to make demands?"

"That is enough!" Anderson barked. "I won't let this whitewash continue. Shepard gave everything to save this Council and this station!"

The salarian councilor held up a hand, glancing to his right at the turian. "He is right... we owe you our lives, Shepard. We cannot provide you with our direct approval, not while you are associated with a known enemy of the Council, but maybe there is a way we can provide some form of support. I propose that we reinstate your Spectre status, so long as you confine your operations to the Terminus systems."

"I agree. It is an indirect way of showing that we still have faith in you, commander," the asari said. "If you will accept, I believe we can all agree that this is the best course of action?"

He could tell that the turian member of the council wasn't happy. Still, with the other three members apparently arrayed against him there was little to be done. Finally he gave a resigned nod and raised his arm, typing something briefly on his omni-tool as the other three councilors did the same before looking to him expectantly. A part of him wanted to tell them all to go straight to hell. That he didn't need their support or their approval after they had all but thrown his allies off the station and buried his memory under political maneuvering. The wiser part overruled, however, acknowledging the usefulness of even tacit support from the Council.

Nodding, he stepped forward. "I will accept that, councilors. But when I bring you proof of the danger we all face the time for politics will be over. Whether you believe it or not, the Reapers are a threat to every sentient species in this galaxy."

"It is done. Welcome back, Spectre."

With that the connection was cut, holograms winking out to leave only bare wall showing once more. It hadn't been a triumphant homecoming, but at least it was better than nothing. A sigh came from his side as Anderson turned from the wall and moved towards the balcony, motioning for him to follow. They both stood for a moment in silence before his former captain spoke.

"That went better than expected. News of your survival threw them for a loop when the rumors first started. Still, they've given you back your Spectre status, I just hope that will help you get to the bottom of this."

"So do I. Why isn't the Alliance doing anything, sir? Those colonies might be far out, but they're still human colonies," he asked.

"I know," Anderson replied, frowning. "It's all politics. We were riding high after the Battle of the Citadel as they call it now. Humanity had our seat on the Council at last, we were being accepted among the other races, and everything was going well. Then you died and I think it scared the brass. The first human Spectre, their poster boy, was gone. And a few of the non-council races were starting to rumble about 'human over representation'. Instead of sticking their necks out, the folks in charge decided to play it safe."

He looked out over the Presidium and scoffed, memories of the colonists on Horizon fresh in his mind, the look of sheer terror on frozen faces. "While innocent colonists paid the price. I ran into Ashley on Horizon, I'm sure her report has gotten back to you by now. Collectors are hitting our colonies, stealing the people like thieves in the night. I have to stop them, even if our own government won't."

"If anyone can it's you, John," the older man said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "This wasn't how I pictured spending my twilight years, but I'll do what I can from here. News of the Collectors has already at least gotten the Alliance brass talking about increasing patrols and mobilization. I'll try to do what I can to at least make the council consider the possible threats and keep them off your back. I wish I could do more."

Shepard smirked. "I have the easy job, I just have to fight an extremely advanced alien race. You have to deal with the politics."

"Maybe, but if you need anything get in contact with me, I'll do what I can. Be safe out there, Shepard. Keep your friends close and your head on right," he said somberly.

"I will, sir."

The two men shook hands again. There wasn't a great deal left to be said, both knew what they had to do. It was a kind of understanding that typically only existed between soldiers, a grim determination and a silent acknowledgment of the personal cost of what they did. Shepard walked out of the office, Garrus and Tali a step behind. There was still work to be done.

* * *

"You know, as far as ways to appear not-crazy, having a conversation with a terminal is not on the top of the list, Boss," Garrus said, grunting as Tali kicked him in the leg.

"Yea, yea... just keep an eye out," Shepard said, ignoring the dig and moving to the advertisement terminal. Activating the thing caused an image to appear, a young woman from the looks of it, though it was hard to tell with half her face in the shadow of a hood. She said nothing as he stood there, an air of expectation about her. Finally he sighed. "Silence is golden."

"Good, you remembered. It was going to get very awkward there soon," the image said, smiling. "Commander Shepard, I presume?"

"Last time I checked. The Illusive Man said he had acquired your services."

"Indeed, not my usual M.O. but your benefactor can really move some credits, as well as information. Kasumi Goto, at your service."

"If you want to introduce yourself properly, I suggest doing it in person. I've been back for a few weeks and I'm already hating these kiosks."

"Oh very well, if you insist. I was just trying to maintain the aura of mystery," the image said, and then blinked out. Behind him he heard a light 'thump' and as he turned a woman materialized out of thin air, her form shimmering for a moment before fully solidifying. She was young if he had to guess, small and slim even next to Tali, who jumped at her sudden appearance. The thief inclined her head slightly at Shepard. "As I was saying, Kasumi Goto, at your service."

"Wow... can you do that at will?" Garrus asked before Shepard could respond. "If so that is going to get real unsettling, real fast on the ship."

"Indeed, I can," the young woman said, a smirk on her face. She bowed slightly to Tali. "My apologies, I didn't mean to startle."

"Ah... that's okay, just a little unexpected," Tali replied, trying to remove her hand from the pistol at her hip discreetly.

Kasumi merely smiled and returned her attention back to Shepard. "Were you informed of the conditions of my services?"

"Only that information on a job as required and that you might need assistance," Shepard said, trying to remember everything that had been in the file. Unfortunately his head was still hazy and fatigued from the previous night.

"Quite right. Just one little job of... personal significance, then I'm all yours," she said cheerfully. Behind her Garrus waggled his brow ridges suggestively as a smirk bloomed on his face, resulting in another kick from the quarian at his side. He was able to cover his sudden laughter with a cough before nodding.

"Of course. We have some supplies to pick up here on the Citadel before we leave port. Be at the ship by eighteen hundred hours and we'll get you settled in."

The woman laughed as she walked away, her form shimmering once more before disappearing. "Don't worry, I'll be settled in before you even make it back aboard."

"This is going to be an interesting trip," Garrus said, still chuckling to himself.

Shepard glanced at his two companions and then in the direction that their newest crew member had disappeared. It was an odd team he seemed to be slowly piecing together, which was saying something considering the last group. All he had to do was hold them together and get the job done, try to keep them safe as best he could and be what the galaxy needed him to be.

Even if it killed him. Again.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Family

"How could anyone have done this to their own crew?" Tali asked.

Jacob replied, his voice bitter. "I don't know. I'm not sure I want to."

The quarian kicked the sand at her feet, obviously irritated at speaking before she thought. "Sorry, I didn't mean it like that. It's just among my people the rank of captain is almost sacred, short of being on the Admiralty Board it implies the greatest obligation one of our people can take."

"I can understand that. And it's true, a captain's first responsibility should always be to his crew," the dark-skinned human agreed, shaking his head. "The man that did this... I don't know him. As far as I'm concerned he died when the Gernsback crashed."

Shepard stood silently, listening to the two of them speak. The planet they stood on would have been a paradise at first glance, with lush greenery, and warm beaches lapped at by rolling waves that beat out a steady rhythm as they broke on the shore. He could smell the moisture in the air and feel the warm of the sun. If only all of the edible organic matter on the planet wasn't toxic to human life.

Upon leaving the Citadel they had received additional information from the Illusive Man indicating the location of two more potential allies as well as the location of his former teammate Liara T'Soni. All three were located on Illium, an asari corporate world that sat on the very edge of the Terminus systems. It was the civilized gateway to the potential wealth of the dangerous and unexplored worlds of the Terminus systems. However, within an hour of leaving the Serpent Nebula he had found Jacob requesting to see him in the briefing room.

It seemed that an Alliance free trader vessel had begun broadcasting a distress call a decade after it was reported missing. That vessel was the Hugo Gernsback, the vessel on which Jacob's father had served. He had made a simple request: to investigate the signal. It had been clear that the young soldier wanted to bury the ghosts of his past after they had so abruptly emerged.

He had agreed. As much as he wanted to reach Illium, knowing that one more member of his old crew had survived, Shepard couldn't disregard such a request for a single day of travel. Jacob never talked a great deal about his past or his family, something told him that the relationship he'd had with his father hadn't been particularly warm, but it was obvious he still felt some obligation.

What they had discovered momentarily made Shepard wonder if it would have been kinder to deny the younger man's request. Dozens had indeed survived a crash onto an unnamed planet's surface, but in trying to survive by supplement their diets with local flora had become victim to unique toxins in the plant life. By the time the Normandy arrived, ten years almost to the day after the crash, they had been reduced to a rough colony of barely functioning people. Whatever was in the plant life of the planet had altered their brain chemistry, leaving with with less reasoning ability than even a young child. Even worse, the few officers that had survived the crash had begun to take advantage of the situation, conserving the survival rations for themselves and giving out the female crew members to officers like some sort of twisted pets.

Growing disgust had only fueled their determination, quickly taking the security mechs that assaulted them apart in a hail of hyper-accelerated rounds. When it was done the cruelest trick of all had played out. Jacob's father had been the acting captain, and one of the instigators of the entire sick situation. He had delayed activating the beacon until he himself was in danger of running out of food, and thus falling prey to the people that now hated him.

Sending word to the Alliance they had left Ronald Taylor locked securely in the wreckage of the Gernsback. Alliance warships would arrive within a day and find all the information they needed to piece together what had occurred. There had been a brief moment that he had considered just walking away, leaving the man to his well-deserved fate. But he had checked himself, remembering people at his side. No one deserved to see their own father die, no matter the reason.

There was a long moment of silence, the three of them simply standing on the shore. Finally Jacob spoke.

"Thank you, Commander."

"I only wish it could have turned out better for you, Jacob," he replied.

The other man shook his head. "My father died ten years ago, sir. Now I know that for sure. At least we ended this. I won't be a problem anymore. Now if you don't mind I think I've had enough of this planet for a lifetime."

Shepard clapped him on the shoulder and nodded, motioning towards the waiting shuttle for him to lead the way. As they walked he heard an audible sigh come from the slim quarian next to him.

"What's wrong? Other than this whole mess, that is?" Shepard asked.

"Nothing."

Ahead of them Jacob chuckled. "Even I know that's a lie, Miss Zorah."

Her veiled head lifted, voice coming out far more sharply. His off-handed comment had gotten a rise out of her, making Shepard smile. Maybe Jacob was a little more adept at reading people than he'd let on.

"If you must know I was thinking it is a cruel trick of the universe. A planet so beautiful and alive, yet so totally inhospitable at the same time. My people wander space without a home, yet there is one sitting here that no one will want."

"Huh..." Shepard grunted. "Oddly I hadn't thought of that. Why couldn't the quarians put in a request to settle this world?"

"I... what?" Tali asked, surprise clear in her voice.

"I mean other than the organic matter being incompatible with non-native species, there doesn't seem to be anything to else wrong with the planet. Couldn't the Flotilla ask for settlement rights here?"

The quarian shook her head, speaking bitterly. "We could ask, but the Council would simply dismiss the claim, just as they always have. After we were driven from our homes, before our immune systems had completely atrophied, we asked to settle a world on the outskirts of explored space. Each time we did, the Council denied us. 'More suitable to colonization by another race' or 'within the domain of another power'... there was always some reason. Apparently the geth driving us from our own world wasn't punishment enough."

"'The sins of the fathers are to be laid upon the children'," Jacob quoted.

Tali's visor turned in the young soldier's direction.

"Shakespeare," Shepard supplied. "Human playwright from a long time ago in Earth's history. Much of his work focused on the tragedy of ignorance and assumption."

"Oddly fitting, for this day," she said quietly.

He could only nod sadly. It was indeed.

* * *

Shepard stood in the cockpit behind Joker, watching as the planet Illium grew larger outside the window. They had work to do, but all he could think of was that he was one step closer to finding one of the final members of his old team. The Illusive Man said that Liara had become and information broker on this world, somehow connected to the Shadow Broker. It simply didn't make sense. Garrus had been through hell and barely survived, Tali had changed, Ashley thought he was a traitor... and now Liara was involved with one of the most infamous underworld entities in council space?

It wasn't something he could accept. Liara had been a young researcher when they had found her, intelligent but naive. She had quickly learned the realities of war as part of the crew, even standing with him when the time came to face her own mother. And in the hours before Ilos she had come to him, once again unsure and at the same time determined. What they had shared wasn't love, but there had been feeling there. A need to feel the comfort of another in the uncertainty of what they faced. Something more may have come of it, if not for that fateful day two years past.

A voice behind him interrupted his thoughts.

"Commander?"

Miranda stood behind him, glancing out the view screen momentarily before returning her attention to him. Her hands were behind her back and he could see tension in the muscles of her jaw, the way her feet shifted slightly. Miranda, nervous? Agitated?

"What do you need, Miranda?"

"I was wondering if I could speak with you for a moment."

"That would be what we're doing now," he replied drolly, arching an eyebrow.

The dark haired woman looked less than amused, but seemed to quickly stifle the urge before speaking. "I would prefer in private... please."

Polite, anxious, and making requests rather than statements. There was certainly something going on. In the past few weeks her demeanor had improved considerably, at least in comparison to her frigid, demanding personality after their first meeting. It was clear she didn't agree with everything he was doing, but had at least come to the realization that there was some method to his madness.

He shrugged and motioned for her to lead the way. Once they reached her office and the door closed she began to pace, rather than taking her customary seat behind her desk.

"Okay, Miranda. Something is obviously bothering you. Care to tell me?"

"I find myself in the unenviable position of needing to ask you for help, Commander," she began, finally stopping. "When you asked me for information about myself I told you that I had been genetically enhanced, tailored, by my father. And that I had joined Cerberus for protection."

"I remember," Shepard replied. It had been one of the reasons he'd been more willing to put up with her attitude, knowing the reason it had likely developed. A child driven to perfection, never being allowed to fail, made for a driven individual.

"Well, what I neglected to mention is that I have a sister... a twin," she said, finally taking a seat at her desk. "She has been living a normal life ever sense on Illium, under the protection of Cerberus and myself."

Shepard took the seat in front of her desk and rested his elbows on his knees. He nodded slowly as she spoke. "Let me guess, that protection has been compromised?"

"I am afraid so. I don't know how but my father found her, sent an agent to bring her back. Cerberus has arranged for her to be relocated with a plausible reason for the move but I'm afraid it won't be fast enough. My father is rich, powerful, and ruthless. My contact on Illium informed me that he has contracted Eclipse mercenaries."

"Eclipse? He's not messing around."

"Indeed. I want to make sure that she gets relocated safely. I realize that we have a job to do but... I just can't..." Miranda trailed off, fists tightening where they rested on her desk.

He stood, looking at the woman. The situation wasn't a pleasant one, but it was good to see her display an emotion beyond satisfaction or annoyance. Maybe there were things that mattered more to her than just completing a job after all.

"Miranda we might not see eye to eye on, well let's be honest, most of what I do, but you're still a part of my crew. Our first stop will still be Liara, if nothing else maybe she can provide information that could help. After that we'll do what we can to make sure your sister gets relocated safely. Meet Garrus and Tali on the CIC when we dock, you'll be going with us."

"Thank you, Shepard," she said quietly.

"I told Tali the same thing on Haestrom: I look out for my own. Like it or not, Miranda, that includes you."

Illium was a forest of tall spires of steel and glass, glistening in the final rays of sunset. As the Normandy drifted between the towers he couldn't help but wonder how such a colony managed to be so clean and organized so far away from the seat of civilization. The fact that they even had docking facilities on planet for a vessel of the Normandy's size was impressive.

His team stood by the airlock, waiting for Joker to settle the ship into dock. Tali and Garrus were as on edge as Miranda, obviously as eager as Shepard to see what had become of Liara in their time apart. He noticed Miranda still wore her customary outfit, despite his continued insistence on something more protective. For his part he had worn his full armor, his only consideration to civilization forgoing his helmet. Rule number six: just because everyone is smiling doesn't mean they won't shoot you.

Apparently someone else had heard of the same rule. No sooner had the airlock cycled and they took their first steps onto the smooth surface of the Illium dock than an asari woman in fine robes approached them, flanked by a pair of LOKI mechs. Assault rifles rested easily in their metallic grips. He held up a hand, pausing the usual reaction to people showing up armed to meet them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Garrus' hand stop an inch from his pistol.

"Do you always welcome new arrivals with armed guards?" Shepard asked. If the asari was a combat biotic she would be the largest threat. Tali would overload one of the LOKI's before it ever got a shot off, chances are Miranda would do the same. That left him and Garrus with the woman. Even with biotics one of them should get a clear shot before she could neutralize them both.

The asari opened her arms, palms outward in a friendly gesture. "Of course not, but you are not a typical visitor, Commander Shepard. I only brought the mechs as a precaution."

"You know who he is?" Garrus asked. "Damn, Boss. We really have to hit the bars at some point. So much wasted opportunity."

"We know who you all are, Garrus Vakarian," the asari said, smiling and then nodding to the others. "Tali'Zorah vas Neema, Miranda Lawson."

He could see Miranda stiffen, already guessing what was running through her mind. If this woman knew who they were, then her father could have the same information. Shepard's tone remained neutral, but he wasn't smiling.

"You seem to have us at a disadvantage."

"I am Yinora," she said, giving a slight bow before continuing. "And I assure you my intentions are not hostile. I came to inform you that your docking and maintenance fees are being covered by Liara T'Soni. I can also offer directions and advice while you are here on Illium."

Shepard wasn't able to conceal his surprise. "Liara?"

"Indeed, she is aware of your arrival and would like to meet with you as soon as possible. If you follow the path behind me it will lead you through customs, after that simply take the first staircase to the right of the trade floor. Liara T'Soni's offices occupy the floor overlooking the trading area."

"Well, thank you then, I guess," he replied, somewhat nonplussed.

"Of course. Also, Commander? I would recommend against signing anything while on Illium," the asari added. "That goes for your crew as well. Illium is a corporate colony, technically, not an Asari Republic colony. As such contract laws are much more... slanted in favor of the contracting entity, rather than the contractee."

"I'll keep that in mind, let's go," he said, motioning for the others to follow.

Customs was lax in comparison to the Citadel, only concerned with making sure they didn't attempt to bring any materials to avoid tariffs. When they stepped onto the main trade floor he was astounded by the noise. Asari, volus, humans, batarians even... all shouting, watching the dozens of screens that hovered above the main floor. It was a kind of organized chaos.

"This is insane," Shepard muttered, pushing past a turian that was mashing buttons so fast and hard on a console that it looked as if he would break the thing.

"This is commerce," Miranda replied.

"Remind me to stick to saving the galaxy."

Finally they found the stairs, the sound decreasing they ascended until it had almost disappeared entirely. At the top of the stairs another asari woman sat, her skin an extremely dark blue. She didn't even look up as they approached.

"I'm sorry, but Ms. T'Soni has appointments all day. I can-"

"I think she'll see me," Shepard interrupted.

The woman's head shot up and her eyes widened slightly. "Of course, Commander. We were not sure when to expect you."

"That would be now."

He activated the control on the door, feeling it slide from beneath his fingertips as the door opened to reveal a spacious office with large windows overlooking the entire floor. Standing with her back to him was a young asari, pale blue, with hands clasped behind her. He smiled but didn't say anything at first, noticing that she was speaking to someone via hologram.

"Have you ever faced an asari commando squad? Few humans have. Get me the information you promised or I'll hit you with a biotic field so strong it will make the elcor homeworld feel like zero gravity."

Shepard's eyebrows shot up in surprise, the voice was the same, but the tone... far different. His memory flashed back back to Noveria, hearing Benezia using an eerily similar phrase.

"Threatening to kill people now? I didn't realize that was acceptable asari business practices," Shepard asked, speaking loudly as he approached.

She turned on her heel, revealing a familiar face, seemingly unchanged over the past two years. "Shepard!"

Liara quickly crossed the distance between them, her hands going to his shoulders as she raised herself onto her toes to place a kiss on his lips. It was a brief moment before she pulled away. Her eyes were clouded and her smile slightly sad as she shook her head. Her hand touched his chin briefly, fingertip tracing the scar there.

"It's strange. I knew you were coming, but... it's still such a shock. To see you standing there," she said quietly, pulling away and turning around, moving back to the large desk that was at the center of the room.

Confusion dominated his thoughts, even as he glanced back at the others. Miranda stood observing everything in the room while Garrus was doing his best 'not paying attention' look. Tali seemed to glance between himself and Liara, fingers entwined at her waist. Shepard turned his attention back to Liara.

"What's going on here, Liara? You weren't surprised that I was alive, just that I was here... you send someone to meet me at the docks? And then I have someone else giving me information that you work for the Shadow Broker?"

The asari gave a laugh that was devoid of humor, something else new for her. "Quite the opposite. I am an information broker, but it would be more accurate to say that I work because of the Shadow Broker, not for him. I've spent most of the last two years hunting him down."

Shepard sat heavily in the chair directly in front of the desk. Behind him Garrus was slowly guiding Tali to look at one of the pieces of artwork in Liara's office, while Miranda had already extricated herself from the conversation.

"So it's true, the information broker part at least."

"Completely," Liara said. "I discovered that dealing in information is much like archaeology. It's all about details and there are still dead bodies, they just still smell in this business."

"Huh," Shepard said, rubbing the back of his neck with a sigh. "I don't know what I was expecting when I came here, Liara. But hearing you threatening people for information while hunting down the Shadow Broker wasn't it."

"We all changed, John. Had things we needed to do. Just like you do now," she said, her voice and eyes seeming a little more like the Liara he remembered.

"You could join up again, help me take the fight to the Collectors like we did with Saren."

She shook her head. "I have... obligations, things that need to be done. The Shadow Broker is close now."

Shepard's brow furrowed and he leaned forward. "Is hunting you too? Do you need help?"

"No, at least not like that. I appreciate the offer, though. What I really need is someone who can hack and follow up on a lead I have. The Broker has an agent here, close by, but I cannot narrow down the identity, nor can I risk clumsy action. If I do the agent will simply go to ground."

"I'll do anything I can to help," he said, then glanced back. "I have had something come up, maybe something you can help with. Miranda, the woman behind me, has a sister here on Illium..."

"I know," Liara said. She laughed, a real laugh this time, at his expression.

"I am a very good information broker, Shepard. I discovered information on her sister a few months back, but I've done nothing with it. Her name is Orianna, and she is right to be concerned. An independent agent and Eclipse mercenaries have been contracted for her return. If you're going to help her I suggest you do it quickly. She's scheduled to be moved off world tonight. They'll make a move to take her before that can happen."

For the next few minutes he and Liara discussed what information she had on Miranda's sister, where she was scheduled to leave from, information on the local Eclipse unit. There was only one local off world dock in the near vicinity, either way she would be leaving from there. Shepard was already running over plans in his mind. At the end of the conversation she also passed him the info she had on the Shadow Broker's local agents.

"Thank you, Shepard. I hope you can keep her sister safe. From everything I can tell she's an exceptional girl."

"Miranda's twin, so I can imagine. She might not be terribly friendly, but she's damned good at what she does," he said, taking the information and sliding it into a pocket. "I'll be back after we've taken care of this."

"I will see you then. Be safe, Shepard."

Shepard slowly walked out, the others following behind. Garrus had made a passing comment of greeting to Liara before they departed, but other than that there was no conversation until they left the office.

"Miranda, we have to move quickly. Let's meet your contact and get into position. Garrus, I'm sending you information on the space port that our target will be heading to," Shepard said quickly, tapping at his omni-tool. "I want you to go back to the Normandy and get Zaeed, think you can set up an overlapping crossfire sniping positions at that location?"

"Definitely, they'll never know we're there until we start shooting. But what's the target, Boss?"

The human paused for a moment, considering. "This is a protection mission. If you see a woman that looks like Miranda at that space port and you don't have a word from me or Miranda, I want to to take down any escorts she has and extract her. Take Jacob and Grunt, position them on the ground for that."

"You got it, Boss. Give us half an hour to get into position," Garrus responded, not even questioning the odd parameters.

"Tali, Miranda, you're with me. Let's go meet your contact," he said and began jogging down the stairs.

At the base of the stairs Garrus tossed him a salute and jogged back towards the Normandy while they followed the wall around the trade floor and into another part of the spire. Miranda's contact was apparently waiting for them in one of the upscale bars that catered to the corporate workers and traders.

"That was... kind of an odd meeting. How was Liara?" Tali asked as they walked.

Shepard frowned. "Different."

* * *

"Check in."

"In position, Commander. Zaeed and I have the entire plaza leading to the port entrance covered. Jacob and Grunt are being inconspicuous at one of the cafes. Well, Jacob is at least," Garrus said.

"Good, stay frosty. With luck you'll spend the entire time bored."

"They might, but I don't think we will," Miranda said, pointing out the window. They were making good speed in one of Illium's many available rental cars, almost into position to shadow the agents responsible for getting Miranda's sister to the port. The mantis gunship pacing them seemed to have other ideas.

"Hold on!" Shepard barked, pushing the the car into a dive just as the gunship's nose gun swiveled to target them. The vehicle narrowly escaped the burst of heavy machine gun fire. Unfortunately it seemed Eclipse had the area locked down far better than expected. The car suddenly bucked and he could hear the whine of an engine about to give out. More fire erupted below them, a few rounds punching through the windshield.

He gave the dying machine a final surge of power and yanked its nose up even as they rapidly bled velocity. Next to him Miranda rapidly tapped on her omni-tool while Tali gripped the back of his seat tightly. The safety protocols activated, the shield that burst into life around the aircar absorbing some of the impact but it still felt like his teeth were trying to jump out of his mouth. He raised his arms as the window of his door shattered, spraying the interior with tiny bits of glass. With any luck he and his armor would absorb the majority of it rather than pelting his far less protected companions.

As the aircar slammed to a stop against a low wall Shepard kicked hard, sending the door flying open. He rolled out of the vehicle and got to his feet, looking back to the car.

"Is everyone okay? Come on, talk to me!"

He could hear rapidly approaching mercs, the leader shouting for them to hold fire. Behind him he saw Miranda pull herself free, immediately followed by Tali, both drawing weapons as soon as they had cleared the wreckage. Miranda had a scratch above one eye and the arm of her suit was torn, but there was little blood. The spectre watched as Tali quickly patted herself down.

"I'm alright, if a little pissed," Miranda said.

Tali nodded, looking up. "I'm find, Commander, no ruptures. I- Keelah, Shepard! Are you actively trying to collect facial scars now?"

"Huh?" he asked, sounding rather daft. Then he touched his face, noticing his fingertips coming away bloody. He shook his head and felt a bit of glass fall away. He laughed ruefully.

"Just adding to my charm. I'm sure Chakwas can clean it up when we get back to the Normandy. You'll just have to deal with me being slightly more ugly for awhile."

Further commentary was cut off by the sound of booted feet. A pair of mercenaries approached and he could see more settling into cover. The leader, if his heavier armor and markings were any indication, approached. He looked at Miranda and smirked.

"We were told you might show up."

The look Miranda gave the man could have melted steel. He weapon was raised, calm and unwavering.

"Good, then you know that I won't play around. Where is my sister?"

"She'll be safe and sound soon. You really thought you could snatch our boss' little girl and get away with it?" the human merc asked, stepping forward. He was confident. Arrogant, even, in his superior position. His choice of words made Shepard pause, though.

"Little girl? Miranda you said she was your twin."

"Ha! Is that what she told you?"

Tali looked at the Cerberus operative warily. "You mean you lied to us?"

"No!" Miranda said quickly. "She is my twin, genetically we're identical. My father just... grew her later when it was obvious his plans for me weren't going to work out."

The mercenary shook his head, looking at Shepard. "You can walk away, my only orders were to keep you from interfering. We'll take the girl and be gone, you can go about your business."

He glanced back at the dark haired woman, a questioning look on her face. "How old is she, then?"

"She'll be nineteen in a few months. I... dammit. I haven't begged for anything in my life, but I implore you, Shepard, we cannot let my father take her back. You think I was the first 'daughter' he had? I was just the one he didn't discard as unacceptable. I got away first," she said. For a brief moment he wondered if this was another tactic, a ploy to gain his help in some larger plan. But if she was lying, then she really was the best actress the human race had ever produced. There was genuine fear in Miranda's eyes, not the kind you got from facing death, but the kind you felt when someone else was endangered.

The mercenary must have seen a decision forming in the spectre's eyes when Shepard turned his attention back to him. He approached close and jabbed a finger at Shepard's chest. "Don't get any bright ideas, while we've been talking my men have been taking up positions behind us. The client can do what he wants, far as we're concerned the girl is his property. You got no business here and you'll be in hell before you can finish drawing that hand cannon on your hip."

Shepard glanced upward, assessing the enemy positions, quickly calculating the number that had clear shots... and then he noted the transport cranes, hauling crate after crate of materials, all with conveniently labeled 'Danger: Flammable' markings in a dozen languages on the side. The smirk that spread across his face must have been sadistic, noticing the mercenary's eyes widen.

"Been there, came back. Think you can pull off the same?"

Before the man could react Shepard lashed out with a foot, striking the side of the man's knee and causing him to sway forward as he tried to maintain his balance. Shepard caught a shoulder, spinning him around and grabbing the back of his head with one hand, his chin in the other. With one smooth yank he snapped the man's neck.

Despite the man's claim, Shepard had his gun in hand before the merc's body hit the ground. The hand cannon roared in fury, the hyper accelerated shells slamming precisely into the control mechanism of the moving crane. The Eclipse soldiers only had time to look up to see the crate fall before the explosion sent a shockwave across the rooftop.

His teammates reacted perfectly, despite the suddenness of his action. Tali's shotgun took one of the nearest full in the chest, while Miranda's pistol beat a steady rhythm, riddling the remaining soldier with fire.

The entire incident lasted only a few seconds. When the smoke cleared only a single, wide-eyed salarian mercenary remained. After only a moments hesitation he beat a rapid retreat, deciding to risk the wrath of his superiors rather than that of the enemy before him. His two companions looked almost as surprised.

"Is he always this impulsive, or is this a recent development?" Miranda asked, glancing at Tali. Now that he thought of it might have been one of the few times she'd even addressed the quarian directly.

"Psych profiles didn't mention that tidbit of information?" Tali replied.

"Apparently they did not stress it enough. I didn't think it would be a regular thing."

The engineer shrugged. "You get used to it."

"Come on," he said, ejecting the old thermal magazine. "Let's go get your sister, Miranda."

They met only light resistance as the made their way to the rendezvous with Miranda's other contact, a man from her old life named Niket. The mercenary's statement had worried her, clearly. If they had known about the plan to relocate the family they could have ambushed the transport or something similar. But he'd heard nothing from Garrus or Zaeed to indicate Eclipse trying to take her out via the port.

"You trust this Niket?" he asked.

"Implicitly. He helped me escape my father. He was one of my only friends before I joined Cerberus..."

"Then how could Eclipse get a hold of your sister so easily? Surely if he was able to elude your father he would have to be good at evasion."

"I just don't know," Miranda said angrily, slamming his fist on the elevator controls, the lift beginning to accelerate towards to very top floor of the highrise building. He simply nodded, checking his pistol.

"If they have her, then she's your priority. Get her to safety, Tali and I will take care of any mercs that get in the way."

She placed a fresh magazine in the submachine gun in her grip, the click echoing in the relative silence of the enclosed space. "Understood, Commander."

The elevator seemed to take forever to reach the top floor, despite the fact that it was likely moving at well over fifty kilometers an hour. Finally it slowed, then stopped. The doors slide open and the trio emerged, Miranda in the lead while he and Tali each covered a side. The woman skidded to a halt after a moment.

An asari woman in Eclipse armor sat on a block of unfinished stone, a large shotgun across her knees, clearly this level of the tower was still under construction. Next to her stood a human man, dark brown hair, fairly athletic build. The pair seemed to be arguing over something, only stopping when they noticed Miranda's approach.

"Niket?"

The human smiled, but it looked forced. "Hello, Miri."

"Niket, what the hell are you doing here? Where is Orianna?"

"She'll be safe soon, back where she belongs," he said, smile fading.

"Where she belongs? It took everything to get away from my father! You even helped me! And now... now you're betraying me to him?"

"You're right, Miri. I helped you escape. I didn't know anything about kidnapping a child, because you never told me!" he snapped back.

"And you never thought to ask me? To give me a chance to explain?"

He threw up his arms, slowly pacing. Shepard kept his weapon at hand, but pointed at the ground. Niket didn't appear to be armed, but the shotgun-wielding Eclipse mercenary worried him. If he was reading the markings on her armor were correct, this was the boss the previous lieutenant had spoke of.

"Explain what? You had a choice, she didn't!"

"A... a choice? Niket, my father uses and discards people like everything else. I saved her from him!" she replied.

He slowly shifted to get a better view, the mercenary's eyes tracking him even as he watched her. Clearly Miranda had more history with Niket than she had let on. The shortened name, the genuine shock in her voice at his betrayal of her trust.

"From a life of luxury? Your father could give her everything. Education, luxury... I've been poor, Miri, you haven't. It's not pleasant."

"It's better than being a puppet! You think I was his first daughter, Niket? I had an older sister too... maybe more than one. He doesn't tolerate 'failure'," Miranda said. She spoke through clenched teeth, obviously trying to control herself.

"The girl has a family now, but their location is compromised if your father knows about them," Shepard said, speaking up.

The realization of what Miranda meant was slowly spreading across his face. He shook his head. "Y-Your father doesn't know, not yet. I got the information and his backing, but I didn't relay everything to him. I told him I'd contact him as soon as I had her with me..."

Miranda raised her weapon, he could see the tremble in the barrel as she leveled at the man. "Then that makes you the last loose end, Niket... I... I can't risk that he'll get to you, make you talk..."

"No!" Shepard barked, lunging for her arm. His sudden order had made her hesitate long enough for him to grip her arm, yanking the barrel towards the ground. "You don't want to do this, not like this. We can find another way."

"Like hell we can."

A shotgun roared and Niket's body spun like a top before crumpling to the ground in a heap. Shepard knew he was dead without looking. Miranda's eyes went wide and her body flared brilliantly.

"You bitch!" she yelled, slamming a wall of force into the asari that send her flying, smashing into a set of scaffolding. Amazingly she stood, shotgun still in hand, her own form now glowing with a tell tale blue hue.

Shepard spotted one of the lift doors open across the way. He motioned for Tali to take the other side. "We'll deal with these, Miranda can handle the asari."

Dashing up a few of the stone blocks he set down his pistol and drew the rifle from his back. It wasn't his trusty old mantis, rather a newer model with rapid fire capability. A feature that came in handy at this moment as he knelt on the stone and began to lay down a steady pattern of fire as the Eclipse soldiers tried to emerge from the elevator. The few he didn't cut down tried to flank around the artificial walls of building materials ran headlong into Tali and her combat drone, Chikktika.

He turned to check on Miranda in time to see her deliver a final blast of raw biotic power to her opponent, the asari trying to bring up her heavy shotgun in time to no avail. The force of it didn't just knock her down, it sent the mercenary flying off the top of the building... and down over ninety stories. By the time he had descended from his raised position Miranda had approached Niket's body, kneeling briefly.

"There's nothing left here, Commander. We need to make sure my sister made it safely."

* * *

"Are we clear, Garrus?"

"Affirmative, Boss. No Eclipse to be seen. For once it was actually boring," the turian answered. The loss of their commanding officers had clearly sent the mercenaries into retreat, their mission abandoned. Even now the three of them stood at the edge of the plaza, looking at Orianna standing with her family, looking at the departures listing for off-world transports.

"You know, you could go talk to her," he suggested after a few long minutes of Miranda looking across the distance.

The woman shook her head, hand raising quickly in an attempt surreptitiously wipe away a tear. "She doesn't need to know, it's better if she goes on thinking it was a random move."

Images flashed in his head. Soldiers on Akuze. Private Banner. A warm smile. The crew of the Normandy. Presley. His friends. Tali, Garrus, Liara. A moment of devastation and fire, two years and a world changed. Slowly he placed a hand on Miranda's shoulder and spoke, his voice quiet.

"She has a sister, one that apparently loves her. There are far worse things in the world to discover suddenly. It's too easy to lose that. Enjoy it while it's there and give her the same opportunity."

"I guess... it couldn't hurt."

He nodded as she began to walk towards the small family, hesitant at first but gaining confidence as she approached. For his part he simply moved to a nearby bench, sitting next to Tali and ignoring the looks from a few passersby. A quarian and a human with a bloody face sitting on a bench apparently attracted some attention. All the better, would mean Miranda and the family would have a few moments of peace.

"Hard to believe that Cerberus operatives have feelings too," Tali muttered next to him.

"People can always surprise you," he said thoughtfully.

There was another long moment of silence and then his radio crackled to life, Garrus' voice on the line.

"Uhh... Shepard?"

"Yea, Garrus? Is there a problem?" he responded, feeling his pulse quicken once more at the prospect of danger.

"No, nothing really. But the weirdest damn thing just happened when I took a look through the scope."

Shepard let out a long breath and relaxed. "What?"

"I'm pretty sure I just saw Miranda smile."

Shepard let out an exhausted laugh and heard Tali giggling next to him. People did indeed change.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Longest Journey

Miranda had been quiet for most the ride, having taken the back seat and letting Tali ride in the front. He simply left her to her thoughts, letting her sort through them in her own time. It had been quite a day for them all. Shepard suppressed a yawn and dipped the aircar into another lane as they neared their destination. Next to him Tali made a small exclamation of satisfaction.

"Win an extranet auction or something?" he asked.

"Very funny. No, I was going through the data that Liara gave you. I was able to hack into the system and uploaded the data she wanted to her terminal."

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "You can do that? I thought we needed a hardline."

"Please, Shepard," Tali said, her voice dripping with exaggerated disdain as she waved at him with one three-digit hand. "Quarian. You should know by now that if its a computer or a ship, it doesn't stand a chance."

"Point conceded, Miss vas Neema," he said with a chuckle. "Don't know what I'd do without you."

Tali simply glanced over at him and shrugged, going back to tapping away at her omni-tool. He didn't elaborate on the statement but it was more true than she likely knew. If not for her and Garrus he wasn't sure he'd have made it through the past few weeks, he needed that connection, a reason to keep moving even though it always felt like he was walking through knee deep mud. He sighed and rolled his neck, the joints giving a crack that made both of the car's occupants jump slightly.

"Sorry, long day," he apologized. "Just ready to be out of this armor."

"Chakwas first, though, yes?" Tali prompted.

"I'll be fine, it'll probably heal up in a day or two. Besides third watch just started, I'm sure Chakwas is asleep by now."

"Not if you have pieces of glass in your face, you won't," she shot back, sounding annoyed.

"She's right, Commander," Miranda added. Her voice was tired, head leaning back against the seat with her eyes closed.

"Most of it has already fallen out. I'm resilient you know, it doesn't really hurt anymore."

Suddenly he realized Tali's visor was close to his face. She didn't even give him time to react as dexterous fingers reached up to his face and plucked a small piece of glass from his skin.

"Son of a-" he growled, grinding his teeth. "I'm trying to fly this damn thing, Tali."

"Uh huh. Well, I'm not the best field medic, but if you're going to ignore our advice about going to Chakwas then it seemed best to do this while you were a captive audience. So it's me or med-bay."

He gave a resigned sigh. "Fine. You've got fifteen before we're at the Normandy, then I can escape."

"Stubborn_ bosh'tet_," the quarian muttered, producing a small container of medi-gel from one of her numerous pockets before leaning over again. Her fingers made quick work, removing the bits of plastic-glass composite and smearing the wounds with medi-gel. She worked intently, silencing him whenever he tried to object, leaning over to get at his chin as he kept car level and smooth.

After a few minutes she seemed to have removed any remaining pieces, smearing the last last of the gel onto a cut above his cheekbone. With the pain gone he suddenly became acutely aware of her finger lightly touching his face and of her hand on his leg, holding on for balance while she had tended his cuts with the other. Her finger seemed to linger, brushing the scar just above the wound.

"We're... ah almost there, Tali. And I'm going to need that leg to activate the landing field," he said quietly, face slightly flushed.

"What? Oh! S-Sorry," she said, quickly leaning away, wiping away the remaining gel on the leg of her suit.

"No worries. Thanks for patching me up. You're a better medic than you think," Shepard replied, giving a genuine smile for the first time in the past few days.

She nodded quickly. "Yes, of course. I had to learn about patching people up after joining your crew. Quite a bit more than the standard Pilgrimage training."

They spent the remainder of the ride in silence, Shepard's tired mind trying to process the events of the day and what had just happened. He glanced over, seeing Tali gazing studiously out of the passenger window. With a shake of his head he dispelled the foolish notions that bounce around his mind. Finally they had reached the Normandy.

As he set down the aircar Shepard mused how long it had been since he'd actually flown anything. It was nice being in control, feeling the sense of security of something responding to your commands. He'd never be Joker, but it was good to see he hadn't forgotten everything.

The trio made their way back to the ship, standing silently through the airlock cycle. When they stepped onto the CIC the lights were dimmed to fifty percent and the crew minimal. It was well into third shift and they were planetside, meaning most of the crew was already asleep. Murmuring a few parting words they went their separate ways, Miranda to her office, Tali to engineering, and himself up to his cabin.

The soldier had stepped inside and already had the chest piece of his armor unbuckled when he nearly jumped out of his skin. Movement caught his eye, gun in his hand by sheer reflex even as his armor thudded to the floor uselessly.

"Oops, sorry! Thought maybe you guys had decided to have a night on the town," Kasumi said, her tone all too innocent as she stood there, examining the model of a turian cruiser that sat on his desk.

"What in the hell are you doing in my room?" he growled.

"Oh, just habit. I always check out every part any ship I'm on. Good to know where everything is just in case. Jack almost hit me with something when I visited 'her' area."

Shepard sighed, holstering the gun and kicking his armor to the side. "I'm too tired to yell at you, Kasumi. Just from now on if you want to visit my cabin I had best hear a knock first."

"Of course. And I didn't go scrounging into anything personal," she said, then noticed his fatigue and face. "Didn't realize it was going to be that kind of mission."

"Neither did I. Don't worry about it, Tali already took care of it. Now if you don't mind I need a shower and a few hours sleep before we hit the ground again. I'm going to need you for the next part, I think."

Kasumi inclined her head slightly and smiled. "Of course, Commander. Nice pad, by the way. Spacious."

"Not always a good thing, just leaves a lot of room to think."

The thief didn't respond, slipping out as quietly as she had likely entered, only the hiss of the sliding door betraying her movements. The remainder of his armor quickly followed the first piece to the floor, then weapons into the locker. A brief shower later and he could feel his eyes sagging before he'd even made it to his bed. The days efforts caught up to him quickly, for once giving him a dreamless sleep.

* * *

"Commander?"

Shepard groaned, pulling himself from the bed. "I'm up, EDI. Thanks. Tell them we'll depart in half an hour."

"Affirmative, Commander."

He had been awake for the past half hour anyways, having given up on forcing himself back to sleep. Despite his fatigue he'd woken and found his thoughts too scattered to drift off once more. Too many questions and not enough answers. His team was coming together, but it still felt like barely treading water. The only bright spot was that after yesterday his two more dedicated Cerberus crewmen finally seemed ready to fully invest their trust in him.

Other than that, though, it felt as if little progress had been made. The Illusive Man hadn't reported any findings that gave them an edge against the Collectors and he still didn't fully trust the fact that he was in bed with a known terrorist organization. And then there was yesterday's meeting with Liara. She had seemed so different. A coldness in her tone, the edge to her comments becoming clear through the conversation. Still, he'd help her if he could. Maybe if they could clear up the current situation she'd be willing to work with him again.

He stood looking at his reflection in the mirror of his bathroom, turning his head to the side to examine the numerous cuts peppering his face.

"What did you always tell me, mom? Careful what you do, life has a way of making you look the same on the outside as you are on the inside," Shepard muttered.

He splashed his face with water and quickly toweled it off. Within ten minutes he'd donned his armor, tightening the final attachments and sliding his pistol into the holster at his hip. Five minutes after that he was standing on the CIC once more looking the part of the commander.

Once more Garrus and Tali stood by the airlock. He glanced around before turning his attention to Garrus.

"Where's Kasumi?"

"Right here, Shep," the woman said, materializing sitting on the railing around the holo-display at the center of the CIC.

"You do realize that you don't have to sneak around the ship, correct? You have access to the entire place."

She shrugged. "Old habits."

"Well, let's go. Hopefully Liara can point us in the right direction for our next two recruits."

* * *

The meeting with Liara had gone well. At least Tali thought it had. The asari wasn't nearly as warm as she remembered, but she had been pleased at the information she'd sent last night and had happily given them all the information they needed to locate their newest two recruits. It turned out they were both involved with an old 'friend' back from the Citadel. An asari woman named Nassana Dantius. Despite her pleas of innocence they had all agreed that something hadn't been quite right about her back then. Apparently they had been correct.

Now it seemed she had an assassin by the name of Thane Krios gunning for her. To top it off she was apparently heavily involved with the Eclipse mercenary company, who in turn were involved with the murder of a volus businessman. Which meant that if the assassin didn't get to her then there was a woman named Samara that would soon follow. Apparently she was something called a justicar. From the way Liara had described it she sounded rather like spectre. Like Shepard.

She glanced at the human striding purposefully through the crowds of Illium, kicking herself mentally as she remembered the night before in the aircar. He had been so stubborn about his wounds she had just taken matters into her own hands.

Except she had found herself looking at the scars that marked his face as much as she had been cleaning his wounds. So different than when they had first met. The moments of tending to the cuts on his face it had been so quiet and peaceful that her mind had wandered, letting her finger brush along the mark. It had made her think of his comment earlier in the day, about being uglier.

His off-hand comment about needing to land had snapped her out of it and brought her attention to the location of her other hand on his leg, sending her scrambling back into her own seat. The only saving grace was that he couldn't see her face or the embarrassment there.

What had she been thinking? Now Shepard was probably worried that something was wrong with her. The only relief was that he hadn't acted any differently as the day wore on. It had been a long day, maybe he'd simply forgotten.

In truth Tali knew something of what she'd been thinking. She'd been thinking of the undertone of bitterness in his voice when he'd made the off-hand comment. About that moment in the airlock when he'd dropped his defenses for a second and she'd seen such raw emotion in his eyes. It had surprised her how deeply it had bothered her, knowing that Shepard was obviously fighting something and that no one seemed able to help. She was even more surprised when she had thought that Liara would be the one to help him, she felt a twinge of... jealousy? Envy?

Except Liara hadn't helped. If anything she had kept Shepard at arms length, whatever had been said between them only seeming to wear on the commander further. She sighed, the sound echoing in her helmet as she told herself to stop fretting like a young girl that had just gotten her suit. Whatever she'd felt in those brief moments was a flight of childish fancy.

Kasumi was slightly ahead, chattering at Shepard regarding something to do with the difference between money and intrinsic motivation. The small human seemed nice enough, she had even come down to engineering to talk to her like she was just another crew member. Shepard apparently had a knack for picking up people that didn't care too much for racial conventions.

A thought struck the young quarian and she glanced to Garrus who was keeping pace next to her.

"Garrus, how long has Shepard been at it. You know, since he came back?"

He thought for a moment and gave a shrug. "I wasn't there right when he did, we ran into each other not long after he met you on Freedom's Progress from looking at the logs. I guess a month or two now."

"I was thinking about what you said when I first came on board. About keeping an eye on him," she said and sighed. "And this whole time he's just been pushing forward, not stopping."

"Tali, I don't think he can stop at this point. He's afraid if he stops that everything will catch up to him," the turian said quietly. He was looking straight ahead and she wondered if he was talking about Shepard or himself.

"On the Fleet something like this would already have been taken care of. No secrets in such close quarters, no chance to sit on things," Tali said. She watched the human walk ahead of her. He seemed to be holding a friendly conversation, it was only when he thought no one was watching that the frown would crease his features and his eyes seemed to be watching something that wasn't there.

"The same goes for turians. We'd have beaten the crap out one another and gotten out of our systems by now. But humans aren't the same, especially not Shepard," Garrus said.

"So what, we just let him keep going until he falls down and breaks?"

The former vigilante looked at her, mandibles curling in a smirk. "Pretty much. Just have to hope he's got someone that cares enough to help put him back together."

"That would be us?"

"Unless you think Miranda would do a better job of it," Garrus chuckled.

"She's not as bad as I thought... but no," Tali agreed. "I just don't like the idea of just waiting for something to happen."

"Best we can do. We both know if we press him he'll just say he's fine and then rush off to solve somebody else's crisis. The man hasn't met a damsel or... whatever would the human word be for a male in distress that he hasn't tried to help, whether it was his responsibility or not."

She sighed, smiling faintly beneath her visor. "I don't think he can help it."

"Me either, so it's up to us to watch his back."

Possibly sensing conspiracy behind him, Shepard turned, looking back at the pair of them and motioning them forward. "Come on, you two. If all the flashing lights up here are any indication then we've arrived at our destination."

She and Garrus exchanged a final look, picking up their pace. A large platform overlooking a private docking area was heavily patrolled by security forces. Towards the end of the platform she could see barriers of glowing holograms denying entry. By the time they had caught up Shepard was talking to one of the officers. Tali moved to his side, trying to figure out what was going on.

"Look, just don't start any trouble with the justicar," the asari woman said. "I've already got orders to 'detain' her to prevent any diplomatic incidents, orders I'm try to drag my feet on."

Shepard sounded almost offended. "Those orders are suicide. You have a right to ignore them."

"Wait, you mean we can refuse the suicidal orders? Why wasn't I told?" Garrus asked.

"Because my orders usually make sense and get people back in one piece," he responded, glancing back at Garrus briefly. She saw something flash in his eyes, his voice low at the last word. "Usually."

"I know that, but I don't have a choice if I wait much longer. And if you have a problem with her then we're going to have one hell of a mess," the asari continued.

"I don't want to fight her, I'm here to recruit her for a mission, a dangerous one," Shepard stated without hesitation. The momentary lapse was over, his voice all business once more.

The officer blinked in surprise. "The stories always have justicars going off on insane quests... if you think you can get her off planet you'll be doing me a huge favor and probably keeping more than a few people alive. She went into the warehouse where the volus was shot looking for information on something. Wouldn't tell me what."

He nodded. "Hopefully we'll have her out of your hair... er... scalp, soon."

"Sooner the better. I'm detective Anaya. Give them my name when you go in," the woman said, laughing at his screw up. "This warehouse belongs to Nasanna Dantius. The last thing I need is a justicar tangling with that bitch. One of towers will end up burning down."

"She owns this whole place?" Kasumi said, speaking up for the first time. "Must be rich."

"And ruthless," Anaya said, voice laced with disdain. "She's holed up in her tower across the way. Probably scared of the justicar."

"Probably," Shepard lied.

"I think we'd better get moving, Boss," Garrus suggested.

They made their way quickly across the way, coming to the holo-barriers. Dropping the detective's name gained them quick entry, as well as a heads up that the justicar was apparently tracking Eclipse mercenaries that had been trapped in the warehouse when they had locked it down. As soon as they'd made it inside, Shepard drew his sidearm.

The warehouse was a maze of corridors and crates, giving the place a claustrophobic feel despite its size. For people used to the wide open plazas and balconies of much of Illium it was probably unpleasant. To Tali it felt almost like home.

"Close combat priorities. Kasumi, stay hidden and keep an eye out, I'll take point, Garrus you're bringing up the rear. I don't want to get surprised in here," he ordered.

They moved quickly, checking corners and moving up each level. After a few minutes of searching voices could be heard ahead. Holding up his hand for silence, Shepard crept up to the corner of the massive storage unit and looked around the corner. He then motioned for the others to follow. Reaching the same point Tali knelt next to him. She could hear the voices more clearly now.

"She chased Loala's squad in there. If we go in hard and fast we can probably overwhelm her. The bitch has to get tired at some point."

Half a dozen mercenaries were standing outside the door to a loading room, armed with assault rifles and assorted heavy weapons. It looked as if they were working up the courage to breach the room. Shepard help up two fingers, then pointed to Garrus and then an empty spot next to him, motioning to the two soldiers on the right holding what looked like anti-vehicle rocket launchers.

She was confused for a moment until the empty spot shimmered faintly and Kasumi appeared, looking a little surprised, but fading once more. He then pointed at her and held up a balled fist, moving it back and forth as if on a level plane. Their sign for her drone. Finally he held up three fingers, then two, then one.

With a tap on her omni-tool and a good toss her drone hummed to life in midair in front of the Eclipse soldiers. Tali rolled from behind cover and into a crouch as their cries of surprise went up. Twin cracks echoed through the warehouse as Shepard and Garrus took their targets, two mercenaries jerking once and then collapsing. Her shotgun jerked in her hands and another was sent tumbling forward.

Half of them were down before they even had a chance to fire. Another joined them as the other soldier carrying a launcher spasmed and fell forward, Kasumi sliding out of view once more before the woman had even hit the ground. One of the remaining mercs fired wildly only to be spun around by another shot from Garrus.

A moment of worry crossed Tali's eyes as she saw the last of the mercenaries, an asari, spin with trained precision, rifle raised and drawing a bead on her exposed form. The mercenary wasn't fast enough, a fraction of hesitation sealing her fate as a shot roared over the quarian's head. The asari's head snapped backwards, a fine mist of blood hanging in the air as she fell.

Tali glanced up. Shepard was standing just behind her in a wide stance, rifle raised, a small wisp of smoke still trailing from the barrel. She smiled. They watched his back, but he watched all of theirs.

"Scoped and dropped," Garrus crowed. "Nice shot, Boss."

He nodded. "Well done, all of you. Now let's see what this justicar is all about."

Keeping weapons in hand they stepped into the room that the mercenaries had been about to storm with care. The room was quiet, half a dozen dead Eclipse lay scattered about the place. A window shattering ended the silence and a young asari in yellow Eclipse armor slammed into the ground not far away. Another asari woman followed her, leaping from the room to glide down effortlessly with her biotics.

She was a striking figure, clad in form fitting leathers of dark red. A thick piece of jewelry was about her neck, something between a necklace and a choker, seemingly made of gold. While she didn't appear aged, for some reason she just felt older when Tali looked at her. For her part the woman ignored the newcomers, stalking over to the fallen mercenary with predatory grace.

The fallen asari tried to crab walk away but the justicar shoved her down with a foot against her neck. When she spoke it was in a level, commanding tone. "A name, Lieutenant. Your life depends on it."

"Go... to hell!"

"Find peace in the embrace of the goddess," the woman said and shook her head, almost appearing saddened. Her foot shifted, the other coming up alongside the mercenary's neck. Her legs shifted suddenly and a sickening crack filled the silence, the young asari's body going limp.

Tali couldn't quite suppress a faint gasp. Even though a day before Shepard had done much the same to another Eclipse officer, it had felt different. The heat of the moment, a firefight erupting. She'd never had to see him simply execute someone. Finally turning her attention to the newcomers the justicar approached, her eyes flicked between them.

"I am Samara, a follower of the Justicar Code. My quarrel here is with the Eclipse sisters and their employer, but I see four well armed people before me. Be you friend or foe?"

"Friend, I hope," Shepard said. "Though I have to ask, do you always execute people that don't answer your questions?"

"I would pose you a question in return, do you not kill in the completion of your duties? To protect the innocent sometimes the guilty must perish."

"Point taken. I'm a poor choice the play devil's advocate anyways," the commander said. "My name is Commander John Shepard and I've come looking for your help. I'm trying to stop a race known as the Collectors that have been abducting entire human colonies. I need the best. And it's my understanding is that is you."

"A worthy goal, Commander Shepard. I have heard of you, though it was my impression that you had perished some time ago."

He rubbed the back of his neck, a frown creasing his features. "I got better."

The hint of what might have been a smile ticked at the corner of the asari's mouth. "So it would seem. As I said, it is a worthy goal. But I am currently on a mission to stop an extremely dangerous criminal that was recently smuggled off world. These mercenaries and their employer used ties to get her off world. I need to know upon what vessel she traveled lest the trail go cold."

Before Shepard could formulate a response half a dozen security officers came running into the room, pistols drawn. Detective Anaya was right behind them, her look a combination of surprise and frustration.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting you to clear the warehouse for me, Commander," the detective said and then looked to the justicar. "Unfortunately my superiors got tired of my stalling and ordered me in. They want me to take you into custody, justicar."

Samara said nothing for a moment, then looked to Shepard. "Commander, I have a proposal for you, should you be interested. My code forbids me from allowing my hunt to be impeded, but I am allowed a single cycle of rest every month. Should you locate information on the ship my fugitive was smuggled upon in that time I would have the evidence I need, and thus could aid you on your own mission."

"And if I don't find it in that time?"

"Then I will be forced to return to my hunt. The Code does not allow for me to stay idle, nor does it tolerate those who would impede it."

"In other words we have a day to get a name or you kill your way out of the police station," Shepard said drolly.

"I am afraid so, Commander. I will attempt to prevent as many casualties as possible, of course, but the Code is clear."

"Guess we'd better get busy, then."

They followed the security agents out, keeping an eye out for any remaining Eclipse but it seemed that between Samara and Shepard's team they had done a thorough job of clearing the place. When they reached the exit she saw the commander pull detective Anaya aside. Tali saw the woman's eyes widen for a moment and a brief argument seemed to ensue. Finally she threw up her hands.

He approached the rest of the group. "I just filled in the detective on Dantius' little Thane Krios problem, as well as her probable involvement with the Eclipse mercenary unit's illegal activities. The lower level is locked down but Anaya has agreed to use her police cruiser to get us past the security in the spirit of enlightened self interest."

"I don't like it," Anaya said. "But if she's really involved with Eclipse she might be the best bet to get the information the justicar needs and that woman has been nothing but trouble since she arrived on Illium a couple years back."

Tali glanced at Shepard. "Apparently she didn't waste much time."

"You've dealt with her before?"

"Yea, she tricked us into taking care of his sister, who turned out to be a slaver," Shepard said. "Looks like it runs in the family."

"We'd better get in the air if you want to get to her before your assassin does. Hope you all are friendly, because I've only got one car," the detective said with a smirk, motioning for them to follow.

Further conversation was cut off as they tried to pile in the back of one of the heavy police aircars. Garrus tried to take a passenger seat only to find the door sealed shut, the passenger side taken up by what looked like a decent sized arms locker. He slid into the back seat and then looked around incredulously.

"Boss, you've got to be kidding me. This is never going to work..." the turian said, gesturing to the back seat that he was currently occupying half of thanks to his heavy armor.

Shepard looked slightly perplexed for a moment before shrugging. "Just a short ride, Tali, why don't you-"

"Dibs on the turian!" Kasumi squeaked and hopped into the car, landing in Garrus' lap. He made a pained grunting sound. She just patted his knee. "Just tell all the boys at the bar that you've got cute human girls jumping in your lap at the drop of your hat. Should smooth your ego."

"I'll worry about my ego when I can check to see if all my plates are still where they should be, human," he grunted, glaring at the slim girl now perched on his legs.

"Look, we don't have all night and I'm breaking way too damn many regulations for me to get another of my boys in trouble with this, now load up!" the detective barked. She was quickly tapping at the aircar's controls, its powerful engines humming to life. Shepard nodded and pulled himself into the car.

"Come on, Tali. Look, I know it's awkward but its the best option we've got and we've got to move," he said and smirked, making a joke of it. "Besides, look at these teeth. I don't bite. Dedicated omnivore here."

"Very funny, Shepard," she replied, but still wrung her hands for a moment. First yesterday and now this? The ancestors must be playing a joke on her. She awkwardly kept a hand on the roof and tried to position her long legs to gracefully take a seat. This was no easy task, considering the situation.

Her careful efforts were for naught, as the detective gunned the engine the moment the quarian had fully entered the back seat. The door slammed shut and she suddenly found herself seated squarely in Shepard's lap, back pressed against his chest as the aircar dropped off the roof. His arm had encircled her waist seemingly by instinct.

"We're going low and fast, so hold onto... well, whatever is handy," Anaya said.

Kasumi seemed to be having the time of her life, making small sounds of excitement at each lurch of the the car. Garrus had an arm about her waist much the same way Shepard had her, keeping them both from bouncing around the cab. But where the young human was letting her arms brush the roof of the car like she was on some sort of ride, Tali had a death grip on the side of the door and one of the commander's knees.

"I am glad that I have relegated to the position of restraining device for excited humans, Commander. It's been a lifelong dream," Garrus drolled. "And by that I mean this woman's driving is about to get us killed."

"You can get out, but that first drop is a killer," the asari said.

"It's just the one human, Garrus. And you're always the one wanting to use my rep to pick up women. We have an expression on earth: Careful what you wish for, you just might get it," Shepard laughed. The detective made another drive, slipping beneath a lane of stalled traffic and she tightened her grip once more, only to hear Shepard hiss behind her.

"Did I? I didn't mean to... Sorry," she stammered. Her tongue felt like it didn't want to obey her commands and she did her best to clamp down on it. It was always a challenge when she was nervous.

"It's alright," he said through gritted teeth. "Just let up on the knee a little, that's the one that I cracked when Sovereign dropped half the council chamber on us."

"Sorry, just not used to... being in this position, I mean, getting bounced around and all. By the aircar, I mean, because we're normally on the Normandy and its so smooth."

"Don't worry, Tali. If he gets fresh I'll straight'em out!" the thief said with a smirk from her position next to them.

"I promise I won't let go, just please release the death grip of pain on my knee, Tali," Shepard said, tightening his grip on her for emphasis, all the while still grinding his teeth. Quickly she let go, forcing her fingers to obey. As promised, death by being smashed against the window did not immediately follow, though a look of relief flooded Shepard's face.

"I thought that Cerberus fixed all that?" she asked, turning slightly and trying to change the topic of conversation.

"Apparently not, they were apparently more worried about making me functional rather than fixing all the old dings and scraps," he said, trying to shift his leg with her weight on it. Mostly it just served to remind her the position she was in and of the fact that the only thing saving her from complete embarrassment was her dark visor.

"Almost there, hold on for the grand finale boys and girls!"

The car quickly made a number of maneuvers that had Garrus cursing the name of the first asari that had made it into space, along with a number of other color expletives. By the time the the aircar had finally stopped Tali was turned half to the side, back and shoulder pressed tight against Shepard with his arm around her waist holding her there.

"You lot getting out? I can't stay here long."

They both jumped. Tali risked a glance at the human's face, seeing a flush of redness in his cheeks as they pushed open the door and pulled themselves free of the backseat while Garrus and Kasumi did the same. Shepard stumbled, grimacing when he put weight on his knee. She grabbed his arm to steady him and he nodded in thanks.

He rubbed the back of his neck, his usual nervous gesture she noted. "Sorry about that whole... situation. I know you weren't comfortable with it. Unprofessional and all that..."

"No, it's alright. We have a mission to do," Tali said, voice more confident now. "Can't let a little silliness interfere right?"

"Right," Shepard said, then gave a disarming smirk. It was the kind of lighthearted look they hadn't seen very often since his return.

"You know you have a really strong grip?"

She laughed nervously, wiggling her fingers. "Two instead of four, have to be strong."

"Alright, Boss, looks like this the place. Should be fun," Garrus said, walking up behind them with Kasumi in tow. The detective had already sped off, trying to get out of the area before all hell broke loose and she was too near it. Plausible deniability and all that.

"Time to go say hello to an old friend, then," Shepard said. He was calm and collected again, the soldier once more.

They all nodded in agreement, drawing weapons as they moved into the building. As Kasumi glided past her the human woman seemed to meet her eyes and give a small, mischievous smile. Then she was gone, an electronic ghost fading into the background.

* * *

It was a shame, the ride over had been awkward and mildly painful, but Shepard guessed the absurdity of it all had put him in a better mood. Stalking through the halls of Nassana Dantius' tower had done little maintain it. He now regretted immensely ever having helped this woman who would turn mechs and mercenaries on her own workers just for expediency's sake. It didn't help that his knee felt stiff, like an old gear that hadn't received enough oil. He hadn't been kidding when he'd told Tali she had a strong grip, it would have done any Alliance marine proud. Unfortunately it had also clearly irritated the hell out of his joint.

He motioned the squad forward, stepping out from behind a pillar and pouring a burst of fire into a guard. Eclipse. It seemed like Dantius was indeed in bed with them, considering the number that were crawling all over the place.

The one anomaly in all this had been the survivors, ones that described Eclipse soldiers dropping dead from near silent gunshots before they got the chance to gun down the hapless workers. One group had even said that someone had locked them into a room, clearly for their own safety, after killing a mercenary. What kind of assassin spent half his time rescuing bystanders?

Garrus' rifle sang, another mercenary stumbling and then falling off the edge. There were more mercenaries here than they had expected, but his team was flowing perfectly. Tali and Garrus having been with him the first time they had dealt with Dantius probably helped. Between himself and Tali the mercenary mechs were more of a hazard to their owners than to his team, and any resistance only resulted in a quick and efficient slaughter.

Shepard slapped a fresh thermal mag into his SMG and then pushed forward, snapping off shots with the pistol on his left. Ahead of him Kasumi appeared, sending another soldier over the edge with a swift kick. Two more tried draw a bead on the agile thief, but fell under an immediate hail of fire from his own weapons and Tali's shotgun.

It wasn't long before they found themselves standing before the heavy door to Nassana's offices at the top floor. He glanced between Tali and Garrus, both nodded. They both agreed that this time they wouldn't be played for fools.

He hit the door control with the butt of his gun and strode inside. Garrus and Tali followed immediately behind, equally focused, while Kasumi disappeared once more. Even if someone tried to get the drop on them they were in for a surprise of their own.

An asari woman stood behind a desk, a handful of mercenaries standing around her. Shepard smiled darkly, looking down the sights of his pistol at her, the shocked expression on her face worth more than a thousand words.

"Shepard? Y-You're dead!"

"Hello, Nassana. Long time no see."


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Demons

"I recieved word someone was coming to kill me. I didn't realize it would be a ghost," Nassana said, quickly regaining her composure after Shepard and his squad had walked through a small army of Eclipse mercenaries to stand before her, guns drawn.

"You really thought I came all this way for you? You really are conceited, Nassana," Shepard said. "If I'd known what kind of person you were back on the Citadel I wouldn't have been nearly as helpful. As it is, you're just another person that has something I need."

While they were talking the human had noted the barest hint of movement above them, the sound of metal warping faintly from weight being placed on it. Rather than draw attention to it, he kept talking.

"You have quite the racket going with the Eclipse sisters. Their little murder club does your dirty work,and you keep them in supply of shiny guns and drugs," he commented.

During their inexorable drive up Dantius' tower they had run across a young asari that claimed to have faked her 'initiation', a murder done solely to join Eclipse. Only later had they found evidence that she had simply been a skilled liar. Something in his gut had done an unpleasant twist when they found that log. All he'd done and still he'd let another murderer run free.

The asari scowled. "What do you want then, Spectre?"

"You used your contacts and Eclipse's muscle to smuggle a woman off planet that you knew a justicar was hunting. I need to know what ship she was on."

"That damn high-bound bitch," Nassana snarled. "All of this because of her mindless devotion to a long irrelevant code that should have died on our homeworld before we ever reached the stars?"

Movement again, this time a moments shadow over the light filtering through an ventilation grate. Shepard shook his head.

"No, that wasn't my only reason. But it's the one that should matter to you."

"Fine," she hissed, leaning forward to tap a few keys on the terminal before her. "The data is ready to transmit, just give me an address. Ship name, registry, logged and not logged destinations."

He glanced to his right. "Tali?"

The quarian activated her own omni-tool, tapping a button with one finger, shotgun still in hand. "I've got it, Shepard."

"You have what you came for. Are you going to get the hell out of my business or do you have some sort of stupid code of honor of your own I'm going to have to deal with?"

Shepard shook his head and stepped back, lowering his gun. "No, I said I didn't come here to kill you, Nassana, and I was telling the truth. I'm not going to kill you."

A slim formed dropped soundlessly behind one of the guards. The newcomers movements were swift but controlled, hands grasping chin and head, the snap of a neck filling the silence until a second guard made a sound of alarm. A single shot from his pistol and the other collapsed. Dantius whirled to face the attacker, snatching a pistol up from her desk, only to find him inches from her. His own weapon pressed just beneath her breastbone. One more shot and the asari jerked, the assassin releasing his weapon and catching her, eased her gently onto the desk.

The assassin was lithe but clearly strong, showing no effort in the near silent struggle that had just taken place. He was a drell, a race Shepard had only encountered briefly before. His skin was made up of fine green scales, eyes black orbs that only added to his reptilian appearance. He folded his hands in front of him, head bowed in prayer. After a few moments of silence Shepard spoke.

"Prayer?"

He nodded. "A hope for absolution of the fallen."

"I don't think she's much deserving absolution. She was a monster that used people like currency."

"Not for her," he said, looking up finally. "For me."

The drell seemed to study Shepard and the rest, dark eyes drifting across them. As if passing judgement he nodded. "Two humans, a quarian, and a turian. Your odd team provides quite the effective diversion."

"You knew we were here all along?" Shepard asked, giving a hand signal. Kasumi materialized next to Tali, arms crossed over her chest.

"Not until you started shooting, but when you did I took advantage of the situation. It made this much simpler as the target seemed to dedicate the majority of her protection to defeating you. Now I must also wonder what interest such people have here, aside from a simple shipping manifest."

"My name is John Shepard, commander of the Normandy," he said and stepped forward, holstering his sidearm. "I have been told you are the best, Thane Krios. That's what I need. I'm on a mission to stop a race called the Collectors that have been abducting entire human colonies. They're a threat, not just to humanity but to everyone in this galaxy."

"An audacious task," the drell said, turning and gazing out the window. Outside Ilium's great city was once more awash in the sun's last rays, the faint glow of lights seen in the shadows cast by the towers.. "This was to be my last job. A way to help cleanse the galaxy before the end. I am a dying man."

"Dying?" Garrus asked incredulously.

Thane turned back and nodded. "I can explain at another time. It is an illness that will not inhibit my abilities for some time yet and it is not dangerous to your crew."

"A man's life and death are his own business so long as it doesn't endanger others," Shepard said. "Does this mean you'd be interesting in taking a job? You say you want to cleanse the galaxy. I can't think of a much better way."

"You seem to be a wise man, Commander Shepard. I will join you. No fee, my body and soul are one in this," the assassin said. They shook hands, sealing the agreement such that it was.

"Glad to have you on the team, Thane. I'll send you the information you need to gain access to the Normandy," he agreed. "We still have some business to conclude on Illium, but I suspect we will be leaving in a day or so."

"Understood. I have little to tie up, I have no ties here. I will gather what personal possessions I have and meet you upon your vessel."

With that Thane took his leave, walking out the front door. With the mercenary unit so devastated there was little danger remaining. With any luck they would be able to appropriate one of the late Nassana's aircars, otherwise they'd have to call detective Anaya for a ride. Garrus glanced over at him and shrugged.

"Dying religious assassin philosopher. Just the type you seem to attract, Shepard. I swear you could find a polite krogan if you looked hard enough."

"I seem to attract some rather unique individuals," he said, giving his team a tired smirk. "Come on, let's go give the detective some good news."

* * *

Thankfully for everyone's comfort they had been able to secure an aircar from Nassana's garage rather than calling Anaya and trying to cram into the back of the police cruiser once more. Shepard felt his face flush again at the memory of the very awkward ride to the tower, his knee still twinging with pain occasionally.

It had been strange, in a way. For all they'd been through and what they had done just in the time since he'd awoken on a Cerberus space station Shepard had actually had more physical contact with people trying to kill him than anyone he'd have called friend. If someone assaulted him with a knife he knew how to react. But Tali's weight against him, the feel of the arm around her waist, the long moment when the car had stopped, that was something he wasn't prepared for.

Pushing his confused thoughts aside, he concentrated on flying the car. It was something simple, something he could focus on. Learning to fly had been an intrinsic part of his childhood. Shepards were a military family, had been since man had first set foot in space. He had been born in space, it had been oddly fitting that he had died there as well.

Shepard shuddered at the memory, his chest tightening for a moment as those last moments flashed in his mind. At last he eased the aircar to the ground, noticing Garrus looking at him.

"You alright, Boss?"

"Yea, just... nothing. Odd feeling is all," he said. Tali and Kasumi quickly made their way out of the backseat, his turian companion giving him a look that said he wasn't buying it before he did the same. He didn't press the matter, instead just falling in behind while Tali took her place to his right. Kasumi for her part seemed incapable of just being still and constantly moved about.

"Well, that was much smoother than the last time. Not as exciting, though," Kasumi said as they approached the security building. He could only shake his head. It seemed the thief was intent on fomenting mischief wherever she could.

The building housing this district's police and security force was a bustle of activity, half a dozen individuals in Eclipse armor were seen cuffed, heads bowed. Apparently they had been busy in the hours since he and his team had been gone. A quick request for directions later found him standing at detective Anaya's desk. Samara sat behind her, back pressed against a stone column. Apparently the detective had decided better than putting a justicar in a cell.

"You're back? Wonders never cease. I heard something heavy was going down in Dantius towers," Anaya asked, mock surprise coloring her tone, before speaking more quietly. "Tell me you got something?"

"I think you'll be happy with the result of our little expedition," Shepard said, nodding at Tali.

"I'm already pretty pleased. I don't know what you did, but its broken the back of Eclipse in this district. Those ones you saw coming in actually turned themselves in for protection."

Whether they were afraid of him or their superiors he wasn't sure, but it was an interesting result nonetheless. During the entire exchange Samara simply watched quietly. Tali picked up a datapad while they spoke, activating her omni-tool and quickly copying data and handing the pad to Shepard.

"Samara, contained here you'll find all of the information for a ship called the Demeter. That was the vessel that smuggled your criminal off-world. This will give you its destination, cargo, and any other important information," he said, tossing the datapad to the justicar who caught it deftly.

"I think if you'll allow the detective to take a look at it she'll also have some interesting evidence regarding Eclipse and the late Ms. Dantius' smuggling operations," he continued with a frown.

Anaya arched a brow at him. "The late Ms. Dantius?"

"Indeed. It seems we just weren't fast enough to prevent her assassination. A tragedy, of course," Garrus quipped.

Samara stood, still having said nothing, and placed the datapad on the desk before the detective. She moved around the desk until she stood before Shepard. Every move she made seemed to flow like water, no wasted effort, just grace.

"You have fulfilled our agreement, Commander, and have also removed a blight from this corrupt world. With this information I know now where to continue my hunt," Samara said. "Now I would fulfill my end of the bargain."

The justicar knelt, her body glowing faintly with power. When she spoke it was deep, level. "I vow to follow you, Commander Shepard, until your quest is complete. Your morals are my morals. Your will is my Code."

The surprise in the other asari's voice was genuine this time. "I've never heard of a justicar swearing an oath like that."

"It is not known, but in this way the Code will not interfere with the mission," Samara said as she stood. "Though if I am forced to do anything too dishonorable I will be forced to kill you when the mission is complete."

"Oh, that's reassuring. I don't think that will go over well with with rest of us," Tali said, visibly bristling.

The asari only smiled. "I know of Shepard's reputation, I foresee no reason for this to come to pass. Do not worry, young quarian. I have no intention of harming your hesh'la."

He noticed Tali stiffen next to him. The word was unfamiliar, but then most of the quarian words he'd gotten out of Tali to date involved her saying something untoward to whatever piece of machinery wasn't bending to her will as it should be.

"He's... just... it's not the best way to start a conversation by threatening the commanding officer," she replied.

"I was merely providing warning. It would be unfair if I did not," Samara said.

He placed a hand on Tali's shoulder. "My friends and I have just been threatened a few too many times. I'm sure there won't be a problem. My ship is the Normandy, she's docked not far from here. We picked up another recruit that should be on his way there was well."

"Very well. I will make any arrangements necessary here and then join you on your vessel," the justicar said.

With that said Samara quickly left, not even bothering to ask for further information. He supposed that she could manage to find the ship on her own. Before he could follow the detective caught his attention with a hand on his arm.

"You're alright, Shepard. Wouldn't have expected a human to be the one to pull my blue ass out of the fire."

"We're not all bad," Shepard replied with a halfhearted smirk. "And I couldn't let Nassana's machinations ruin more lives."

The asari nodded. "Still, you went above and beyond. I don't have much to offer in return, I transferred what little I had in the discretionary bounty fund to an account in your name. One other thing, there's a bar just off the trading floor, fairly decent place. You'll find an asari woman tending bar there, real character. Just tell her who you are and the drinks are on the house."

"I appreciate it. Nice working with you detective, driving skills and all," he said.

"I help where I can," she responded with an odd smirk.

When they stood outside the security office Garrus tapped him on the shoulder, gesturing to his omni-tool. "Got a message from Liara. Said she was reviewing the data we sent and that she'd be free in a couple hours if we could stop by her offices."

"So back to the ship, I guess?" Tali asked.

He stopped for a moment, thinking. Shepard shook his head, turning around to look at his squad. "I don't think so. I think you've all earned a drink after what we pulled off today."

"Ooh, free drinks now? Joining up seems like a better idea every day," Kasumi said.

* * *

The bar was the same one that they had met Miranda's contact in the day before, a spacious affair that seemed to be populated by the same variety of races that had been on the trade floor. Anaya's bartender friend turned out to be not just an asari, but a matriarch named Aethyta. He got quite an interesting bit of history regarding her krogan father and asari mother, as well as an earful of opinion on the current state of asari politics.

"I can't help but agree with you there. People are too willing to stick their heads in the sand," Shepard said.

The matriarch snorted. "Yep. And that's why I'm here tending a bar. At least I feel like I accomplished something at the end of the day. Speaking of, here's your drinks. Sealed tube is for the quarian, think you can figure out the two human drinks. Don't eat the red nuts either, they might look tasty but they're dextro. Turians and quarians."

"Right... but the quarians can't eat them anywhere, not sterilized."

"Anything can be sterilized if you're willing to shell out the credits," Aethyta said, producing another tube from beneath the counter, single stacked with the same red nuts. "Here, on the house same as the drinks."

"Thanks," he said, sticking the tube in the back of his belt. Tali had been a little on edge the past day or so and after the incident in the car he figured a little surprise wouldn't hurt her. Grabbing up the drinks he headed to the table that Garrus had claimed.

"Here we go, one round of liquid celebration," Shepard announced as he sat the drinks down and taking his seat.

"What are you drinking, Boss?" Garrus asked.

"It's a human liquor called Maker's Mark. They actually had quite a selection of human alcohol. Even your martini, shaken not stirred, Kasumi," he replied, pushing the glass towards her.

The thief smirked. "Told you. It's universal."

Tali for her part was eyeing the tube before her with suspicion. She picked it up, examining the seals, peering at the liquid inside with glowing eyes that shone through her visor. Finally Garrus spoke up, popping a few of the red nuts from the bowl on the table into his mouth and crunching noisily.

"Tali, I'm sure its fine. An asari matriarch isn't going to try to kill you with unsterilized food."

"I suppose. Also it's not like I drink a great deal. A little turian wine is all that is usually found on the Flotilla," she replied. "Plus I think I'm entitled to paranoia. The nuts sitting in the open air have a 'for quarians and turians' stamp on them."

"Yea, that is sort of a dick move, because they are tasty," Garrus said. "I'm sure you can get some sterilized ones."

The quarian made a small disgusted sound. "Probably, at ten times the price. Did you know the Fleet isn't even allowed to come within a certain distance of Illium? Then they provide 'quarian safe' food and drink, but charge so much for the sterilization that no quarian can afford it."

"Tali, you do realize that we are working for a ridiculously well-funded human organization, right?" Kasumi questioned. "I think they can afford some nuts. Really girl, you need to live."

"It's not worth it," Tali responded, shrugging. Finally apparently satisfied with the safety of her drink she slotted it into the feeding tube on the underside of her mask and took a sip. "It's kind of sweet."

Shepard shook his head. Save the galaxy and the girl doesn't think she's worth buying some actual food. He wondered if all quarians had the same opinion. Rather than ask and put her on the spot he simply produced the tube from his back and slid it across the table to her.

"Well, I'll argue the 'worth it' part, but it's an especially moot point when you've got a free pass from the bartender. Plus I think she likes Garrus," he said with a wink at the turian, causing him to nearly choke on his drink.

Tali looked up in surprise when the tube bumped into her hands. "Oh! You... didn't need to do that, but thank you. It's been quite awhile since I had food that wasn't some variety of paste."

The four of them sat in comfortable silence for awhile. Tali had replaced the drink with the tube of nuts and was happily munching on them, the faint crunch audible even through her helmet along with the faint sounds of satisfaction. Shepard slowly sipped at his own drink, feeling the liquid burn a path to his stomach. It was a pleasant, familiar warmth.

"You know you're not quite what I expected when the Illusive Man hired me, Shepard," Kasumi said.

"Oh? Dare I ask what you expected?"

"Oh you know, you were the poster boy for awhile. Big tough Alliance hero, yadda yadda. Would have figured you'd be far more stuck up. More regulations, less wisecracks."

He thought for a moment. In his conversations with Kasumi since the Citadel he had learned a few things, mostly that there was far more beneath the surface than just her cheerful attitude and disregard for authority. Whenever she mentioned her old partner he had heard the change in her voice. Being a professional thief might not be the most popular line of work, but something told him she was far more trustworthy than any Alliance politician.

"As these two can tell you, I am not much for regulation. For your rank and file soldiers? Fine. Discipline is needed to keep everyone alive. But we've left the normal behind. Trying to fit everything into a conveniently sized box just wastes time," he explained, gesturing at the table. "I don't need people that just follow orders with a 'yes sir!'."

Shepard continued, looking between Garrus and Tali sitting across from him. He felt his voice crack for a moment but continued on. "The people I served with aboard the original Normandy weren't subordinates. They were friends. They followed orders because they trusted me, not because I had commander bars on my shoulder, or so I like to think."

"In Japanese there is a term that has come to mean something similar over the years," Kasumi said quietly. "_Nakama_. It means colleagues or partner, but the connotation is of loyalty and trust. 'Family that is not'."

"I think we can all agree with that," Garrus said, raising his drink. Shepard smiled faintly and clinked his glass against Garrus', then Tali and Kasumi did the same.

"It is very different, being part of a team," the thief said. "But I think I could learn to like it."

"If you hang around Shepard you had better. He has that effect on people," Tali said.

His omni-tool beeped, forestalling any further conversation. Shepard sat his drink down and activated the interface, seeing what was apparently a call from Liara. He activated the link.

"Shepard. Thank you taking my call, I wanted to confirm some information with you," Liara greeted him.

"Of course. We were going to come see you soon, actually."

"Good, Garrus did get my message. I was just looking at the data and noticed some discrepancies. I could have waited until you arrived but was impatient. When reviewing this did you spend any time really sifting through it?"

"No, actually. Tali was the one that got the info," he said sheepishly.

"Oh! Well, is she there with you?"

He motioned Tali over so she could look over his shoulder at the small screen. "Of course."

"Ah, I see. Tali was this all the data from the three systems I had asked Shepard to access?"

"Yes," the quarian replied simply. Samples of that data began to scroll above Liara's face on the call while Shepard tried to absorb it as quickly as possible.

"These are all communications from the agent to the Shadow Broker reporting on the status of agents here on Illium. But this just doesn't add up."

The realization hit him suddenly. "The agent is a woman. All the people she's referring to are male. Liara, where did you get the tip for this information?"

"Nyxeris sent it... Nyxeris gave it to me! I have to go, Shepard!"

"Dammit, Liara wait! We can-"

The line was already cut, however. Standing quickly Shepard checked his weapon and headed for the door, the rest of his team following behind him without a word. As soon as they had stepped outside the bar he broke into a run. Four well-armed people running across the trade floor might earn some looks, but he wasn't terribly concerned about propriety at this point.

He took the steps leading to Liara's office two at a time, gesturing at the now empty desk where Liara's receptionist sat. "Garrus, cover the door. Kasumi, Tali stay behind me."

A loud crash came from within the office. Not waiting any longer he slammed a fist on the door controls and stalked in, a gun in each hand. He scanned the room quickly, only to find Liara standing in front of her desk, body aglow with biotic power. Her double-agent assistant hovered in midair, held by the other asari's biotic field.

"Give me a name!" Liara yelled.

The hovering woman grimaced in pain, but still managed to give a look of contempt. "You never even... knew mine. You think you... can stop... him?"

"I know I can."

"Ha! You can kill me... or let me go, either way you'll never... learn a damned... thing," Nyxeris hissed.

"So be it."

Anger flashed in Liara's eyes, no not just anger, rage. Her fingers curled into a claw and then she gestured to the side viciously. Azure light flared and the hapless spy flew across the room. With an echoing crack she slammed into the wall, slumping to the ground lifelessly as the biotics faded. Liara simply stood, breathing heavily a faint look of satisfaction on her face.

Shepard's voice was low, calm. "Tali, take Kasumi and Garrus back to the ship."

"Shepard-"

"Just do it, Tali. Liara and I need to talk."

The quarian nodded, motioning for Kasumi to follow. He had begun to learn her body language again, he could tell she wasn't happy with his decision, but she did it anyways. The door slid shut behind him, leaving the room illuminated by the faint glow the consoles around them, the occasional beep and the sound of breathing filling the silence.

"I thought it was threats and posturing before, Liara. I never thought I'd see you execute someone for refusing to give you information."

The asari looked at him for a long moment before speaking. "She tried to kill me. I merely fought back. She was good, but her barriers needed practice. Practice she won't be getting now."

"Fought back? You had her helpless. Say what you want to the authorities but don't lie to yourself. That was an execution."

"And?" Liara said, walking up to him, meeting his eyes. Anger still smoldered there. "I've seen you kill before. I know what you did to the Purgatory. Garrus told me about Dr. Saleon even. And you have the gall to stand there sounding appalled because I killed some spy for the Shadow Broker?"

"You think I enjoyed doing those things?" he asked. He could feel his own anger rising in response to her attitude. "You think I want to close my eyes at night and remember the faces of the people I've killed?"

"Oh, so why did you do it then? It was your choice, you decided to play the part of the goddess. Commander Shepard, taker of life," the asari hissed, stabbing a finger at his armored chest.

He snatched up her wrist, feeling his jaw tighten. His voice came out as a shout. "I did it so someone else wouldn't have to! You're right, I decided to play god. I took their lives, the blood is on my hands, blood I can never wash away. And it changed me every time I did it, what's your excuse?"

Liara yanked her wrist from his grip, tears in her eyes now. Her response was a whisper. "You."

The asari walked away, leaning on her desk, not facing him. For his part he was too stunned to reply. Had he made her this way? Seeing the things he had done had made her kill so casually? She wasn't an impressionable child, she was three times his age. It didn't make any sense.

"Me? How could I have turned you into this... into someone obsessed?"

"Shepard. The things you don't know," she laughed, it was a sound devoid of any warmth or joy. "You died, you left us all. Did you know that even after you were dead that the Collectors went in search of your body?"

The Collectors? He couldn't fathom why they would have wanted his corpse. "I don't understand."

"Of course you don't. I'm sure Cerberus didn't tell you how they got your body either," she said. Liara began to pace, occasionally turning to look at him. "You want to know why I became what I am? Because this is what you made me, John."

The way she said his name, it was like acid on bare skin. She paced, continuing. "Everyone knew you were dead and gone, but I heard that people were looking for you despite it. Heard that the Collectors wanted your body. So I did everything in my power to stop them. I hunted your remains across space."

"You brought me to Cerberus?"

"Yes. They were looking for you too, said that you were needed. That the galaxy needed Commander Shepard to lead them. And I agreed. But bringing a man back to life is no easy task, especially when the Shadow Broker is trying to sell his remains to the Collectors."

She leaned, half sitting, on the edge of her desk. Liara's head was bowed while she spoke. "I had help from various sources, and we finally tracked you down. The Shadow Broker's agents were in the middle of selling you off to the Collectors. In the chaos that followed... the man that had been helping me find you for this entire mad quest stayed behind so I could escape."

"You inspire such loyalty, John. A man that never met you gave himself over to death, torture, or worse so that you could have the slimmest chance at another life. He was a friend. So when I left you with Cerberus I came here, I spent the last two years breaking down the Shadow Broker's operation piece by piece."

"And so to hunt him, you became your mother? I didn't want that, Liara. I would never..." he said, voice a raspy whisper. There were tears in his own eyes as she spoke, seeing her expression change like she had been slapped. The anger and loss in her voice, the undercurrent of accusation and guilt. Too many people had died for him. Liara had become a killer for him.

"You didn't have to ask. People just did it, because we needed you. The galaxy needed you. What's a few more lives for one man's destiny?"

"My father died a long time ago, Liara. But one thing he always told me was that people made their own choices in life. I've made my choices, you made yours. I'm sorry... I'm sorry for your friend, for what you had to do because you ever met me," Shepard said, his words choked. "But I won't take responsibility for the lives you take on a quest for vengeance against the Shadow Broker."

"What, is the blood on my hands too dirty for you, Commander?" she asked, holding up her hands; pale, blue, and delicate.

"No, but it's not something I can wash away anymore than I can my own," Shepard whispered. He raised a hand as if to touch her, but thought better of it, dropping his hand to his side. "Too many people have died for me already. Don't let it consume you, don't become another one."

"Damn you, Shepard."

He smiled sadly. "I already am. Goodbye, Liara."

* * *

Tali found herself being dragged out of engineering before she could even voice a protest. Garrus had her by the arm, and because it was him he still possessed a functioning arm. Anyone else would have been lying on the floor cradling a broken appendage before they made it to the door.

"Garrus! What are you doing? Where we going?"

The turian shook his head, ridges furrowed in concern. "I just got a call from detective Anaya on behalf of her bartender friend."

"Did something happen?"

"You can say that. Shepard never came back to the ship after his meeting with Liara," he growled. "It turns out he's spent the last three hours in that bar."

"Maybe he just needed some time alone. We said it ourselves earlier, he's been pushing himself."

"I'd agree with you. Except for the fact that the bartender said he'd been drinking since he got there and was getting increasingly erratic. Last report was he had some asari a foot off the floor by her neck because she apparently thought he was Alliance military and would be interested in buying her quarian 'indentured servant'."

"Oh keelah!" Tali exclaimed. "We need to hurry."

Garrus simply nodded. "The rest of the crew doesn't need to see this. We need to get and get him back before he causes a damn diplomatic incident."

The two of them tried to make a show of not running headlong for the airlock, instead moving calmly until they stepped onto Illium's streets. Then it was a headlong dash through the thankfully thinner crowds of Illium's nightlife. Before long they had made it to the entrance of the bar, stepping into a scene of minor chaos. People were milling about, but not running.

Shepard stood near one side of the bar, a very unhappy looking asari leaning heavily against the wall, rubbing her neck. A few feet away was a quarian woman, her environment suit the typical black with shades of blue and gray swirled into her veil. She kept glancing nervously between Shepard and the asari. At Shepard's feet were a pair of men in light combat armor, a human and a turian. Neither seemed to be conscious.

"F-Fine, I'm sorry. Here, I'm filing the paperwork now. Just..." the asari stammered, coughing. "Just give it a second to process."

"Garrus, keep an eye on the door, I'll try to get Shepard away from the crowd," Tali said. The turian nodded and moved back, shooing people away and breaking up the crowd. The altercation seemed to be over so their attention was waning as it was. She approached the quarian woman, speaking in her native tongue after disabling her translators.

"Fleet-sister!" she hissed urgently, placing a hand on the other quarian's arm. "What's going on?"

The other quarian jumped but managed not to panic. There was a sound of relief in her voice at seeing another of her people. "Keelah, sister! We were in this bar... the asari woman s-she's my own- I mean contract holder."

She hung her head. "I... I came here on my Pilgrimage, I thought the asari would be nice to one of our p-people. But then I got involved in the trading... and I thought I had a way to make so much money. I w-would have come back to the Flotilla with a brand new ship, the first in so long. But I was wrong. And then I needed to take a loan to cover losses... and then an... extension from less reputable people. B-By the time it was over I had to sign an indentured servitude contract otherwise the man I borrowed money from said he'd... he'd do things to me."

"And... the human, here? How did he become involved?" Tali questioned.

The girl's glowing eyes widened beneath her smokey gray visor and her voice lost some of its hesitation. "Synthetic Insights was supposed to b-buy me, but they backed out. The asari saw the human in armor and thought that he was Alliance. She tried to offer me to him as an AI programmer or a... personal assistant. Just something to make her money back on me. But he got so angry. He said nobody deserved to be owned just because they made a mistake. He even tried to buy my contract from her!"

"But she wouldn't sell, said that if I was freed early it would cause penalties and fees for her as the broker. Something about... bad for business, if people went around releasing people from contracts."

Tali nodded. "Just stay here and be calm."

She moved over to where Shepard was standing over the asari, his hands balled into tight fists. He looked unmovable standing there, but Tali noticed the waver in his stance, the way his leg seemed to shake with strained effort. Tali reached out for his arm.

"Shepard," she prompted.

He turned, a little too suddenly for his impaired state, and staggered slightly before catching himself. The man's eyes were blurry, but brightened at the sight of her.

"Tali! Did you meet Qua... Quin'Sala?" he asked, his words slightly slurred. He glanced back down at the asari, his face darkening. "This... slaver bitch tried to sell her to me. Like ssshe was a ship part."

"That's not how indentured servitude works! We are very... conscientious of the rights of-"

Tali cut her off. "Get out of here while you still can and consider yourself lucky, bosh'tet."

At the harshness of her voice and another glance at the large, clearly upset human, she struggled to her feet and quickly slipped away. It didn't look like Shepard had ever drawn his weapon, but armed and armored he still cut a dangerous figure, even if drunk.

He chuckled, keeping himself balanced with hand on Tali's shoulder, and turned back to her. "I... think I jus' bought Quan'sala. B-But don't worry, I'm going to free her... jus' as soon as I figure out how to do that."

Tali shook her head. Something had clearly happened when he'd spoken to Liara, but here he was drunk and unhappy, but still trying to solve other people's problems. "That's great, but I think it's time to go back to the Normandy now."

"What? No, can't leave her behind. Left too many people behind... don't want to leave anyone," he muttered, trying to pull away. Before she could consider her action's she gave him a sharp slap across the face, jerking his attention back to her.

"Look at me, Shepard! She can come with us... we'll take her back to the Normandy, but you have to pay attention to me and do what I say," she said firmly.

Shepard gave her a very odd smile. "Yes, ma'am."

She looked over her shoulder. "Quin... er... Quan? Which is it?"

"Quin'Sala nar Vasta," the young quarian said, approaching. "Is he alright?"

"He'll be fine, sometimes humans just... over indulge," she explained, trying to guide Shepard to the door only to suddenly feel him stumble and wrap an arm around her shoulders. "Keelah! Can you help me?"

"Of course!" Quin said, moving to grab the man's other arm.

"Too late for that, ladies," a voice said from in front of them. Aethyta appeared from the crowd and pushed Quin'Sala aside, putting one of Shepard's arms over her shoulder. "Corp security is on its way, your captain has been downing Black Deaths for the past hour. Those things are slow but catch up quick."

"Black Death?" Tali asked, eyes wide.

The matriarch chuckled throatily. "Yea, human drink. Real dark liquor and an equally dark beer, I think might even be some other minor shit in there. Apparently named after a plague on their world. They say every third one kills you. He's been up and down all night, I don't know how he processes that much alcohol."

Tali had her suspicions. Most likely the cybernetics that Cerberus had put him as part of bringing him back helped him clear it out of his system faster than a normal human. It just mean he had to drink more.

"How many has he had?"

"Six."

What did Liara say to him? The matriarch was leading them towards the back, Shepard's weight heavy on her shoulder as his had lolled to the side. She could hear his breath through her speakers, even smell the alcohol on his breath even through the filters. He muttered as he struggled to put one foot in front of the other.

"Your veil always such a... pretty. Purple. Pretty purple. Heh. Always wanted to ask how... quarians chose."

"You want a lesson in quarian culture now? You are such a bosh'tet, Shepard," she grunted, now mostly dragging him. The matriarch was impressively strong, taking a good deal of his armored weight.

"I know," he whispered, voice thick.

"Goddess, your_ hesh'la_ weighs a ton. Come on, we'll lay him up in one of the private rooms in the back. Hopefully your turian is a good smooth talker," the matriarch said.

"That is the second time, today. He is not my_ hesh'la_!"

Shepard seemed to regain a little lucidity, peering intently at Tali. "Sam-a-ra said that too. What's that mean?"

Aethyta laughed. "Means 'captain' big boy, well sort of. _Hesh'alan_ literally means 'captain'. It's kind of slang, has some implications-"

"Enough," Tali hissed. They had finally reached the room. Thankfully Quin had been following them and hit the door controls so they could drag him inside. It was a barely lit room, a few couches and a table in the middle, clearly meant for a small private gathering. Shepard didn't quite make it to the couch, instead slumping down with his back against leg of one of the couches.

"Stay here, I'll go help your turian buddy soothe security. If all else fails I'll tell them you slipped out before they got here and he can sober up back here until morning," the matriarch ordered, then shut the door, leaving Tali and Quin'Sala with Shepard who was sitting on the floor, staring at his hands.

"Sorry, f-for all the trouble," Quin muttered. Tali shook her head.

"It's not your fault. We all get into trouble when we go on Pilgrimage, some more than others. You just got lucky and found the one man in the universe that gives a damn about everyone," she said, and then glanced back at the human sitting on the floor. He was flexing his fingers, as if testing they were still there. She was surprised to see what looked like a tear in the corner of one eye. "Everyone but himself, it seems."

"Thanks. I'll just, you know, sit over there for awhile and try to be quiet. I think your friend needs you more than I do."

Tali nodded and the other quarian paced over to settle on the opposite couch against the wall. Moving to where the commander sat, she eased herself down on the floor next to him and touched his arm lightly.

"Shepard? What's wrong?"

He looked at her, his expression lost, confused. His body was quickly burning through even the considerable amount of alcohol he had consumed, but it still hit him hard. "She... she was right, Tali. Keep going on, but other people... they pay."

"Who was right?" she asked.

"Liara. Said it was... me. Collectors wanted me... probably why they attacked in the first place," he said, leaning forward to hold his head in his hands. "Then she got my body back... took me to Cerberus. Even after I was dead... people dying for me... killing."

How could Liara say something like that to him? They had all be friends, allies, in the fight to defeat Saren. She even knew that Liara and Shepard had even been... close. Then to turn around and tell him that he was to blame for the change in her personality, it made sense now, what had pushed him over the edge. The look in his eyes now was the same one she'd glimpsed in the airlock aboard the Purgatory. Except now the alcohol kept him from walling up again.

Carefully she put a hand on his. "Shepard, she was wrong. Didn't you tell me that people were responsible for their own decisions?"

"She can't be wrong, Tali. All the evidence... all there in front of me. Kaidan dead. Presley dead. Liara becoming a killer. People don't deserve that," he continued to ramble, hand suddenly over hers, grasping it tightly. "Don't let it happen to you, Tali. You should... should go, take Quan'Sala... go back to the Fleet."

The idea of him sending her away felt like a knife in the gut, but she kept calm, even as she felt him rhythmically squeezing her hand as if to reassure himself it was still there. She knew he was drunk, rambling. He wouldn't really try to send her back to the Flotilla, would he? In that moment she realized she couldn't let that happen.

Tali shook her head and smiled sadly. "Her name is Quin'Sala, Shepard. And I'm not going anywhere. Neither is Garrus. Or Joker. Or even Kasumi or Miranda. We're your crew. Your friends. We make our own choices."

Her mind flashed back to Garrus' words, that someday he'd fall down and he'd need people that cared to help put him back together again. She had known it was true, then, but now that she saw the cracks in the man it truly hit home. The universe had asked everything, and he'd given it. Now it kept asking for more and it was finally starting to be more than he could carry.

He looked up finally, meeting her eyes once more. Most people didn't even bother with that courtesy with her people, but Shepard always had. His voice was cracked and weak.

"I'm sorry, Tali. I'm just... so tired. Every day... just wake up and wonder... if I'm me. If anyone else will die... because I'm not good enough."

Shepard's grip slackened on her hand, but he still didn't let go completely even as he seemed to slump slightly. She could feel his weight press against her side and she slipped her hand from his grip and around his armored shoulders. He slipped, but she caught him, easing him down until his head was across her lap.

"Then sleep... everyone is safe, John, you can sleep," Tali whispered. His first name felt almost foreign on her tongue, everyone always called him Shepard, but for some reason it just felt like the right thing to say. Her hand reached down and lightly brushed the side of his face.

After a few minutes of silence Tali realized he had actually fallen asleep, just laying there on the floor, his head against her leg. If Garrus walked in at that moment... no, it would be fine. For all his joking and smart comments he cared for Shepard too, he wouldn't speak of what had happened to anyone. Seeing the pain, the uncertainty in his eyes had cut her deeply.

The problem that Tali had now wasn't caring for the commander, she realized. Quite the opposite. Somewhere in watching him and fighting impossible odds along side him, seeing past the wall he put up to the man underneath, she had begun to feel more. The feeling in the aircar earlier hadn't been just embarrassment. It had been pleasure, enjoying the feel of his arm around her, of that closeness. Or even of the times he had spent just talking to her, not because he needed something but because he actually seemed genuinely interested in what she he to say.

Tali shook her head at her foolishness, cursing herself for letting it happen. Maybe in a moment of vulnerability like this she could help ease his pain, but more? It couldn't ever be. She was a member of his crew, a friend even, but that was all. The rest of the time she was a silly girl in a suit, with a face he couldn't see and skin he couldn't touch. It would be selfish to even tell him.

"You'll never know... I promise. You worry too much as it is, I won't burden you with anything else. You deserve so much more," Tali whispered to the darkness, fingers idly stroking his cheek.

"Is everything alright?" the other quarian asked. Tali jumped slightly, she had forgotten she was even there. Shepard mumbled something, but didn't awaken.

"It's nothing, Quin'Sala. Nothing at all."

Inside her helmet a tear rolled down her cheek.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: Angel

The first thing he noticed was the faint throb behind his eyes, even before he opened them, immediately followed by the fact that he wasn't in his own bed. Or even out of his armor for that matter. But he his head wasn't laying on the ground, which would have been the case if he'd passed out. Instead he was resting against something warm and yielding, the odd combination of the scents of leather and hints of oil teasing his senses.

Shepard cracked his eyes with a groan, mind beginning to catch up. The room was dim. Where the hell was he? One hand clumsily reached for his leg, grasping but finding the holster there empty. He had to get moving, had he been captured? He had to check his surroundings, check on the crew, make sure everyone was alright.

Then he felt his headrest move and the spectre turned slightly, blinking. Looking up he saw a familiar mask, shrouded with a deep purple veil. He wasn't on the floor because his head was in Tali's lap. She was leaning back against a couch, one hand draped across his stomach. He didn't catch the telltale glimmer of her eyes beneath the visor, meaning she must have been asleep.

Brief flashes of the night before slammed into him like rounds from a gun. Sitting at the bar, thick, dark alcohol burning like fire as it went down. A quarian, stammering and young, an asari wanting to make a 'deal'. Losing his temper. Then Tali, taking his arm. Half dragging him somewhere else with help from the bartender.

"Oh gods, what did I do..." Shepard groaned. He pushed himself up, gently lifting Tali's arm off of him. The movement caused her to stir, eyes appearing in the opaqueness of her visor. He had made it to holding himself up with one arm when she finally snapped back to full consciousness.

"Shepard!" she said, catching his shoulder and helping him up, or at least making the attempt. He staggered and ended up falling backwards on the couch with her help.

"Are you okay?"

He blinked once more. "Yea, yea... just a little stiff. Where are we?"

"Umm... one of the private rooms, in the back of the bar. You attracted the attention of security, we had to drag you back here so they wouldn't try to arrest you," she explained, sitting on the edge of the couch next to him and quickly checking her omni-tool. "Keelah, it's nearly morning. I must have fallen asleep too."

A voice spoke up. The young quarian at the bar. Quin if he remembered her name correctly. "You two fell asleep a few hours ago, but nobody came back so I just stayed quiet."

At that moment the door opened, spilling light into the room. Shepard couldn't help but hiss in pain at the suddenly brightness, covering his eyes with a hand. A turian stood in the doorway, glancing between the two of them and the room's other quarian.

"Garrus?"

"Yea, it's me, Boss," he said, stepping in.

"Tali said something about security. What happened?"

"Don't worry about it, Boss. We took care of it. You look like hell by the way," Garrus quipped.

He shook his head. "What else is new. I still don't... everything is kind of fuzzy, then and now."

"Tali can get you up and running. Miss ah... Sala, I think she said your name was? Why don't you come with me. I'm part of Shepard's crew, I'll make sure you get taken care of," he said to the grey-clad quarian. Quin'Sala hesitated for a moment but at Tali's nod she moved to follow.

"Quin'Sala nar Vasta," she introduced herself.

The turian inclined his head, opening the door once more and leading her out. "Garrus Vakarian."

Shepard leaned forward, rubbing his temples. They both sat for a few long moments in silence as he tried to arrange the memories in his head in such a way that made sense. He had drifted in and out of an alcohol daze as his cybernetics strained to filter his blood and he slammed back more to counter-act it. It slowly came back, though, piece by piece. Tali sitting next to him, listening to his ramblings, reaching for her hand like it was the only thing keeping him from drowning.

His voice cracked when he broke the silence before he continued, getting control of himself. "Tali, I'm sorry, I... I let you down, all of you. You shouldn't have had to listen to me babbling like an idiot, much less drag me out of trouble like a drunken idiot."

"What Liara said got to you," she responded quietly, ignoring his apology.

"I shouldn't have let it."

A small laugh came from the quarian and he looked up in surprise. "Despite what the universe may want, you're still only a man, Shepard. You're allowed to have feelings, pain."

He gave a weak smile. "Thanks for keeping me humble, Tali."

"It's what we are here for," she said. Hesitantly her hand extended to touch her arm before she spoke again, her voice more serious. "I... I'm just glad you could trust me. We're your friends, Shepard."

"Trust you? Tali, I trust you with my life, you and Garrus both," the soldier responded without hesitation. And it was true. He'd dreamt almost nightly of his death, the horrible moments in the void, sucking at air that wasn't there. But he'd step out an airlock for either of them in a heartbeat if that was what it took.

"That... means a great deal. And I... we feel the same. I know you think that you have to be unyielding, to lead us all, but we already follow you. You don't have to pretend everything is perfect with us," Tali told him.

He nodded slowly and sighed. "I just feel... wrong, burdening you with problems that aren't yours. Both of you have been through too much for me to want to add to that."

"And you think evading corporate security is a better option?" she asked. It was a pointed question, but he could hear the lighter undertones of her voice, the faint teasing tone.

Despite everything that had happened in the past weeks and even the previous night he couldn't help but smile. This was why he fought. It wasn't for galactic peace or even a sense of patriotism anymore, it was for the people that stood by him. If Garrus hadn't been there for him he might be under arrest at this moment. If Tali hadn't been there to give him even that brief outlet for everything that had been bottled up inside he might have continued to spiral into that self-destructive urge he felt deep inside.

"You have a point."

"I often do. Do you think you can keep your balance? If we get you back to the Normandy soon we can probably avoid people asking too many questions," she said.

"You're right. I think I can manage. We've got too much to do for me to by laying about all day."

It took a few tries. The armor he wore was custom fitted and of amazing craftsmanship, but it still wasn't meant to be slept in especially in the position he had been in. The fact that he'd also spent the night with his head in Tali's lap was also enough cause his face to flush, kicking himself for being so unprofessional.

"Better?"

"Okay, I think we're good," Shepard confirmed. He certainly wasn't at his peak but managed to only need Tali to steady him once as they made their way out of the back rooms. The matriarch Aethyta was waiting for them in the now empty room.

"Seems you survived the night. Your friend is actually quite the talker. Ended up having to buy a few drinks for the security boys but everything got smoothed over pretty well when he said you'd already headed back to your ship," she said, amusement in her voice.

"I appreciate the help, if there's anything I can do to make this up to you..."

The asari shook her head. "You've already done plenty from what Anaya told me. And you've got people that clearly rely on you. Do right by them and we'll be even."

"I won't fail them, I promise you that," Shepard said.

"Good. Oh, this came for you. I don't think the woman you were dealing with knew where else to find you and was too afraid to come back," Aethyta said, picking up a slim folder from a nearby table and handing it to him. Inside was a rare thing, a physical copy of a contract. He skimmed over it.

"Oh hell..."

"What is it?" Tali asked.

"I... am apparently now the holder of an indentured servitude contract for one Quin'Sala nar Vasta," he said with distaste, then nearly choked at the price. "Apparently the broker agreed to sell her services 'at cost' for ninety eight thousand credits."

"Oh keelah... last night when you were drunk and having an altercation with that damn woman, you told me you 'thought you bought a quarian'. Shepard, how do you even have ninety eight thousand credits?"

Shepard growled. "It doesn't matter. I won't own anyone. I just need to find out how to get this dissolved."

Aethyta plucked the plastic hardcopy from his hands and scanned it quickly. She shook her head. "It'll cost at least that much to break this contract. Part of these agreements is an early breach of signed term. They say it's to prevent people from 'abusing' the system. Mostly I think they just don't want anyone to have a chance get out of their agreement before they've sucked them dry."

"I don't even know where I got the money for this in the first place."

"Look, technically these contracts have a clause to prevent the 'indentured servant' from being taken off Illium, but if both parties agree that can be amended. You have a ship, right? Take her with you."

"I do but... I won't own a living being, I don't care how its prettied up. And I won't take a young quarian on her Pilgrimage where I'm going, especially when it's not her choice," he said.

"I doubt she's much younger than me when we met in the Wards, Shepard," Tali pointed out. "But I can see what you mean. From talking to her I don't think she got the same level of training I did before my Pilgrimage."

He nodded. "It's not that I doubt her abilities, if she's anything like you she'd do the work of three people, Tali. I just... she's not volunteering, she'd be risking her life because she had no other option. Plus she has a Pilgrimage to complete and I don't know what of use she'd find with us."

"Hrmph, that is a kick in the quad," Aethyta said. She seemed to think for a moment. "I know a little about quarians. Tell me, you think a steady source of credit income would be considered an acceptable Pilgrimage gift, Miss Tali'Zorah?"

"Of course, the Fleet typically makes most of its income from salvage operations or occasionally hiring out technical experts to fringe groups and minor corporations. Any kind of method of generating income would be a considerable gift to a prospective Captain," Tali said.

"Well, thing is I didn't mention before, cause it's nobody's damn business, is that I'm the bartender because I own the bar," Aethyta explained. "I have a couple of minor partners that were investors back in the day, but I hold the majority ownership. People keep bugging me to add in some of those fancy VI experience entertainment booth things. Now something like that, it's complicated to make and maintain. Never seemed worth it."

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "Go on."

"You get to have good ears as a bartender. I seem to recall last night that woman trying to sell you that girl because she was a good VI programmer. And she'd been in here before trying to find a buyer for her, so I might have talked to 'em a bit," she said, gesturing towards the bar. "Look, I'm not a young asari, but I've got a few years in me and your Quin'Sala seems like a nice girl, even if she's a little timid. But I can't afford to buy a contract like that."

"So what are you proposing?"

Tali crossed her arms over her chest. She sounded slightly skeptical, but willing to listen.

"Simple. Transfer the contract to me. I'll have her help me get this VI suite idea up and running, and I'll teach her some good business sense that she obviously lacks in the process."

"And then what?" Shepard asked.

Aethyta smiled sadly. "My daughter doesn't speak to me anymore, I don't have anyone to leave anything to. I'll pay her normal wages, when her contract is up or when she can afford to buy herself out I'll sign her over half my stake in the bar. If I like her, the other half will be in my will to go to her or her family depending on how long I keep kicking."

"Why would you do that?" Tali asked, sounding surprised.

"Like I said, I don't have anyone to take over after I'm gone. Seems a waste just to sell the place off or leave it to a daughter that doesn't talk to me. Girl seems nice enough," she said. "Besides, I've been around for a long time, girl. I know what you lot look like under those suits, I knew some very... good friends that I never saw again after the Morning War. Seems a good way to remember them."

Shepard paused, considering. It was harder than it sounded with his head still pounding faintly. He didn't see any reason not to trust Aethyta. Detective Anaya obviously considered her a friend and she'd helped him out without asking last night when things might have gone far worse otherwise. Finally he nodded.

"I still don't like this whole contract thing, but if she agrees then it sounds very generous," Shepard agreed. "Just make sure she's taken care of."

Aethyta smiled and held up a hand, her skin shining with even more vibrant blue for a moment as biotic power flashed through it. "Don't worry. I'll make sure she's happy. It might take a little longer than normal for her to return from her Pilgrimage, but she'll be safe. Any loan sharks come looking they'll find a singularity so far up their hind ends they'll be able to taste dark matter."

"Good. Now I'm going to try to make it back to the ship. I'll send Garrus to escort Quin'Sala back here if she agrees."

The matriarch nodded and walked back to the bar, returning with his missing side arm. She deftly slotted a fresh thermal magazine into the heavy pistol, thumbed the safety on, and handed it back to him. "Go with the goddess, John Shepard. I get the feeling that where you're going you'll need all the help you can get."

He looked surprised at her addressing him by his full name, but just smiled and returned the nod. By the time they had made it half way back to the Normandy he was mostly manage on his own. His balance was back at least, but his knee still bothered him, continuing to try to give out when he wasn't paying attention. Noticing Tali watching him he quirked an eyebrow.

"What?"

She shook her head. "Garrus mentioned you helped another quarian on Pilgrimage back on Omega. Now you've gotten another of my people out of virtual slavery and in a position to bring an amazing Pilgrimage gift back to the Fleet in time. I start to wonder if you were a quarian in a past life."

"Not that I am aware of," Shepard chuckled. "Besides, it seems only fair to the Fleet out where I can."

Her helmeted head cocked slightly in a way he learned indicated puzzlement. "And what do you get?"

Shepard smiled. It wasn't his usual smirk or halfhearted grin but an honest display of emotion. "Simple, they let me fly around with the best damn quarian in the Fleet."

* * *

It turned out Quin'Sala was more than happy to agree to Aethyta's proposal. When Shepard and Tali informed her she had practically shouted for joy, even hugging him out of gratitude. After that he had left her and Tali together, figuring it would be nice for the two quarians to have a moment between themselves. All the while Quin seemed to bounce on her toes in a way he remembered seeing Tali do on occasion. He chuckled and headed towards the bridge, stopping by the main battery on his way.

"Garrus?"

"Made it back, huh?" the turian responded, turning to face him.

"It wasn't a pleasant trip, but yea. Thanks again, buddy. I'm sorry you had to pull my idiot self out of the fire," Shepard apologized.

"Don't mention it. You'd do the same for me."

"True, but doesn't make me feel any better about it," he sighed. "Oh, the young quarian, Quin, is going to need an escort back to the bar. Aethyta offered her a job and a way to get a Pilgrimage gift at the same time."

"Ah, nice kid. You'd think you were the second coming of the hanar's Enkindlers the way she talked about you on the way back," Garrus smirked, his mandibles twitching in amusement. "You sure know how to make an impression. Any more damsels that need saving?"

Shepard rubbed the back of his neck. "Not that I'm aware of. I'll let you get the next one, though."

"I appreciate the gesture."

"You shouldn't. Hard work," he smiled. "Either way, get her back safe and Aethyta will take care of things from there. Other than that, be in the briefing room by twelve hundred hours, I want to meet with the team before we leave Illium."

Garrus tossed him a lazy salute and went back to his calibrations. He considered that by now those weapons should be so finely tuned that they didn't waste a single ounce of power and could shave the paint off a cruiser without damaging the hull. Still, Garrus always wanted to be prepared.

It was a few minutes later that he found himself standing in the cockpit, Joker slowly spinning in his chair to greet him.

"Morning, Commander. Looking... rested," he said with a knowing look. "Don't worry, lips are sealed. You don't think anyone gets on or off my girl without me knowing, do you?"

"Yea, rub it in," he sighed.

"Nah, too easy. I was curious to see Garrus come back with a new quarian," the pilot commented. "You're not going all Noah's Ark on me, are you?"

Shepard rubbed his temples. "Joker, wouldn't I have found a male quarian if that was my cunning plan?"

He shrugged. "I'd think so, but never know with you. Besides, Tali is the only one I've ever seen. Maybe they're all asari mono-gendered and I never knew. Or you're starting a harem."

"Yes, I'm starting a harem of immune deficient women. I think I'll tell Tali you mentioned the idea next time she's cleaning her shotgun," Shepard said. "Just make sure the ship is ready to go. Briefing room, twelve hundred hours."

"You know, let's just forget this conversation ever happened. I'll just make sure the ship is ready to go," Joker said, going back to his console.

He shook his head and laughed. "Wise decision."

Between Garrus and Joker word would get out to the rest of the crew. For now he simply made his way to his cabin, sorely in need of a shower and to steal a few more hours sleep. Out of his armor, this time.

* * *

Those few hours of sleep and a brief shower had left Shepard feeling vastly more human than he had upon waking earlier. For a long time he sat on the edge of the couch in his quarters, simply cleaning his armor. It had been something neglecting in the past few weeks. The normality of it was somewhat soothing, letting his mind wander as he cleaned.

Letting his issues get the better of him was not something he was proud of. Liara's confession of what had occurred after his death had simply caught him completely by surprise. As an officer he had always accepted that he would lose people under his command. It hadn't made it any easier, but at least he'd come to terms with it. But what Liara had said, that he hadn't just lead people to their deaths but changed who they were. Turned innocents into killers.

That guilt still clung to him, though his outburst last night had at least done something to provide release. Now he just had to learn to keep it from destroying him. There was a mission he had to complete, a threat he couldn't ignore, and so Shepard would keep going. His only saving grace that he wasn't alone.

His reverie was interrupted by Joker's voice. "Commander, I've got the Illusive Man calling for you."

"Understood, Joker. I'll be in the briefing room in five."

Leaving the armor on the floor Shepard wiped his hands and stood, heading into the elevator. After the usual brief delay he found himself in the briefing room, table sliding away once more as he stepped forward and the holographic scanners activated. The room darkened, changing, until the now familiar image of a man sitting in a chair silhouetted by a dying sun appeared.

"Shepard, good. I have some very important information for you. And I see you've been quickly building your team."

"I have. Your information has been good so far. All of them seem to be among the best," he responded.

"Information is what I do. I do find myself at something of a loss, however, at a recent transaction. It seems close to a hundred thousand credits was withdrawn from the primary account Cerberus set up to hold funds for your little operation. Indentured labor contracts?"

Only careful control kept him from responding with surprise. At least now he knew where the credits came from. "There was a situation that needed rectifying and we both know its a drop in the bucket compared to the cost of the Normandy or myself. Consider it a good will payment towards the Migrant Fleet for the incidents of the past."

The Illusive Man brought his cigarette to his lips, taking a long drag as he thought for a moment, then nodded. Smoke billowed from his lips, drifting in the still air. "Very well. Let's not make it a regular happening, though, shall we?"

"I don't think that will be a problem. Now you said you had important information for me?"

"Indeed," he replied, sitting forward. "We might have just gotten our big break. I intercepted a distress call from a turian patrol. They encountered a Collector vessel. It nearly wiped them out, but somehow they managed to disable it."

"A turian patrol managed to take down one of those ships? That ship dwarfs the Destiny Ascension. The only thing bigger I've seen was Sovereign."

"As I said, I don't know how they did it, but readings show it's mass effect core is offline. This gives us an opportunity to finally get the information we need to track the bastards down."

Shepard nodded. "I can't argue with that. What about the turians? I don't think the rescue party is going to react well to a Cerberus frigate showing up."

"The distress call has been rerouted for now, it will take time for them to get it. More than long enough for you to get in and get out," the Illusive Man said, waving a hand dismissively. "I've already sent the coordinates to EDI, you can be there within hours."

"Then let's go hunting," he said. "Shepard out."

The room faded once more, then returned to its original state. He stepped aside to let the table rise, surprised to see Miranda standing in one corner of the room as the lights came up again. He arched an eyebrow.

"Can you sense these things now?"

"No, but I do know whenever the link is activated. Comes from having been involved in your and this ship's resurrection for the better part of two years," she explained. "We have a target?"

"We do. A disabled Collector vessel. This is our chance to get the information we need," Shepard said.

"Very good, Commander. You had requested a meeting earlier, should I assemble the crew?"

"Yes... but wait a moment."

It was Miranda's turn to arch an eyebrow, arms crossed over her chest. "Commander?"

He took a seat at the head of the table, lacing his fingers together. "Miranda, we've had this discussion before. You believe in Cerberus' ideals, I don't. But despite our earlier... differences we've managed to work together. You know this ship as well as anyone."

"This is all fairly common knowledge."

"What I mean is that your actions have earned a great deal of my respect. Technically you're the Illusive Man's proxy on this vessel. I think it's only logical that you officially be recognized as my XO," Shepard finished.

"I... was not expecting that, Commander," she admitted. "I promise to do my best make sure your faith is well placed."

"If we're going to survive this, we have to learn to trust one another. I'm sure you'll do just fine. Which is also one of the reasons I'm having Tali remove the bugs she can find that the Illusive Man has installed. If he doesn't trust me that's his problem, but I won't be spied on on my own ship if I can help it."

There was a moment when it looked as if she would object, but finally Miranda nodded. "I understand. I'll forward Miss Zorah a list of all the ones I know about. We've come this far. Time to stop hedging my bets."

"Thank you. See if you can get the rest of the crew in here, I want to speak to them all and go over the plan. And tell Joker to set a course for the Collector ship," Shepard requested. "Oh, and Miranda?"

"Commander?"

"I won't ask you to go as far as first names, but you can at least call me Shepard. Everyone else seems to."

A smile curled at the corner of her mouth. She brushed a strand of dark hair from her eyes and nodded. "Of course, Shepard."

He spent the next few minutes sitting, thinking. There was something not quite right about this entire situation, it seemed too easy. Still, it wasn't an opportunity that could be passed up. While he waited he brought up all of the available data they had obtained on Horizon, examining the enemy ship for any weaknesses. Within ten minutes the team started to filter in. Jacob was first, quickly followed by Garrus. One by one they entered and took their seats.

"Here's the situation," Shepard began, bringing up an image of the Collector vessel that they had driven off of Horizon. "We have learned the location of a Collector ship, one that seems to have been disabled. This is an opportunity we can ill afford to waste. But I'm also not entirely comfortable with this, so we're going to be on high alert."

"Samara, Thane, I want you with me. I know it is a heck of a way to start off a partnership but best you see what we're up against first hand," he said, pointing at the two newcomers before turning his attention to his right. "I want you with me too, Tali. We both know you're a far better hacker than I am."

"I would not have it any other way," Samara said. Thane merely nodded, as did Tali.

"Does this mean I'm getting stuck on ship duty, Boss?" Garrus asked with an exaggerated sigh.

"Negative. Another piece of information you should all be aware of. As the individual with the most knowledge of the ship and her own considerable experience I am officially appointed Miranda as my XO from this point forward. She'll be in charge of the Normandy while I'm on the ground."

This got him a quizzical look from Garrus and if he could tell from her posture Tali was a little concerned as well. Most of the rest of the crew looked indifferent.

"Don't worry, Garrus. You're still my favorite. You'll be going with me on the shuttle, but you'll be leading Grunt and Zaeed. Your job is going to be to hold our extraction point. I should hope a trio of battle-hardened warriors can keep a few bugs off our shuttle, right?" he asked.

Grunt slapped his chest. "They will never touch it."

"Good," Shepard smirked. "That's what I like to hear. The rest of you are going to be standing by in full combat gear. There is a chance we might find some of our stolen colonists. Mordin, I'm putting you in charge of that team. If I call I want you to come in hot and be prepared to evac any survivors."

"Chances slim. But we will be ready. Extra medical kits will be on shuttle just in case," the salarian said.

"That's the plan, people. It's not fancy, but it will have to do. We hit the Collector ship in... just under four hours. I want everyone fully combat ready by then," Shepard ordered.

The room quickly cleared. Everyone had things to do, and like most professional soldiers many had their own rituals to attend, be it a religious pray or a through cleaning of a favorite gun. All unique, all unproven, but equally necessary. The last two were Garrus and Tali, the turian giving her a look that was responded to with a nod.

"Something I should be aware of?" he asked.

Tali shook her head. "No, we just wanted to make sure you were... well, better. Garrus told the rest of the crew that we had some business from the 'old days' to care of, which is why we didn't return last night."

He stood, walking around the table and leaned back against it, meeting the quarian's eyes through her helmet. "I am... I won't lie to you anymore, it's not perfect. But I'll manage. Don't worry about me. I'm just glad you were there last night. Kept me from doing anything stupid and... for afterwards. I'm sorry if I made you... ah, uncomfortable with how things ended up."

"I didn't mind... I mean, that, well you needed help. And I'm your friend, that's what friends do, right?"

"I'll be honest with you, if I'd woken up in Garrus' lap I would have been a little more concerned," he said with a grin.

Her laugh sounded nervous, hands knotted together in front of her. "Just... don't worry about it, I just wanted to help, and you needed to talk. No reason to feel awkward. You know, I should... go do a final system check in engineering. There's a chance the Normandy will need to fight if this goes badly."

Shepard nodded and his chief engineer quickly left, heading straight towards the elevator as he sighed. Apparently he had bothered her. Damn. Hopefully it would blow over soon, he didn't want her feeling uncomfortable around him. He just needed to make sure he didn't say or do anything else stupid in the near future.

Ever since he had woken up that morning he had come to the slow realization that he needed Tali, just like he needed Garrus. His turian friend was always there for him, a sympathetic if sardonic ear and willing to back any play he made. Garrus had the bloody experience to know how he felt and didn't hesitate to tell him when he was wrong. Not that Tali seemed to have a problem with that either, he considered as he rubbed his cheek.

But Tali seemed to be the one he kept coming back to when he just needed to know that there was some hope left in the universe. Despite all they'd been through and the changes in everyone he'd known, deep down she was still the same as when they had first met in the Wards. Determined, selfless, curious, loyal, kind.

Shepard's mind flashed back to the aircar zipping through Illium's skyways, that brief moment of silence between them. He quickly pushed it aside. It had stirred something in him, but nothing he could pin down. Nothing he could act on if he did without being a selfish fool.

"You've got a job to do. Don't screw up other people's lives in the process anymore than you already have," he muttered to himself, stepping out of the briefing room and head to his quarters. Time to get ready.

* * *

"My god, it's massive," Joker said, his voice a whisper. Outside the view screen the Collector ship hung in space, dark and silent. If he had to guess it must have been over a mile long, and irregular spindle topped with a haphazard ring. Just seeing it sent a faint chill down his spine.

"With any luck this will end with you trying out those new guns," Shepard said, slapping the back of Joker's chair as he left the cockpit. "Okay people, it's go time. Joker, patch EDI into my suit comms. I want to be kept up to date on everything."

"Aye aye, Commander. As Donnelly would say, go kick'em in the dirty bags," the pilot responded with a horrible mockery of the scottish engineer's accent.

Shepard pulled his helmet on, securing the latches at his neck. The suit's HUD sprang to life, tracking his available ammo, communication channels, medical stats, and other information all in a crimson hue. Stepping into the elevator he soon found himself on the hanger floor. Jacob met him at the door, a weapon Shepard hadn't seen before in his hands.

"Commander. Garrus and I were working on this beauty. Damn thing is heavy as hell, but he said you could take it," the soldier said, handing the weapon over.

It was heavy, that was for certain. Tapping a button on the side the weapon extended into a long barreled rifle, tri-light sight at the top and a heavy recoil absorbing stock bracing against his shoulder. All in all it was a weapon of exquisite craftsmanship, and with a far larger bore than anything he'd seen that wasn't mounted on a vehicle.

"Garrus called it the Widow," Jacob explained. "Full bore auto-lock, double cartridge through-gauge. Heat compensated but even then you can only single fire it. I'm pretty sure you could put holes in the hull with it if you really tried."

Collapsing the rifle he quickly stowed it on the magnetic catch at his back. "I don't know what to say, it's a beautiful gun."

"Well, we're finally hitting the Collectors instead of the other way around. Figured it was time to hit'em with the good stuff."

"I won't argue with you there," Shepard said with brief laugh. The soldier gave him a salute and he moved towards the shuttle, sticking his hand in the air, two fingers up and making a circular motion. A gesture that had meant 'dust off' since the days before humans had even left Earth.

His team was already on board the shuttle. He was pleased to see that Samara and even Thane had donned a set of light combat armor over their previous gear, along with sealed breather units. Not quite as good as a full military helmet but it would have to do. Taking a seat he felt the shuttle lift off a few moments later.

They had found an area that was as close to a hangar or dock as they were going to get, touching down in a fairly flat area. His team was out first, followed by Garrus', taking up defense positions around the shuttle. Nodding at the turian he moved forward, drawing his heavy pistol and advancing, the rest of his team following behind him.

"Don't lose the new toy now, Boss," Garrus' voice said over the comm.

"Not before I get to try it out. That'd be a sin if I ever heard one," he responded, then became more serious. "Stay alert, Garrus. I have a bad feeling about this."

"You just get in there and get the info, we'll make sure you've got an exit."

The ship was eerily silent as they moved forward. His team kept a disciplined approach, clearing corners and watching exits, but there was no sign that anyone even knew they were onboard. Eventually they moved deeper in. The first unpleasant discovery was a pile of corpses, human bodies discarded like so much refuse to rot.

"Such a waste of life," Thane muttered. "What were they doing?"

"Experiments, probably," Tali said, clearly trying to choke down bile at the sight. "If there was a control group they probably... destroyed the control group when it was over."

"Keep moving. There's nothing we can do for them now," Shepard ordered.

Even as they seemed to reach the depths of the vessel there was still no sign of life. The bizarre, almost organic, construction of the ship combined with the utter silence was increasingly unnerving. Finally they reached the ship's apparent 'core', only to find it a vast empty space, walls honey combed with pods much like the ones they'd seen on the recordings from Freedom's Progress.

"Keelah..." Tali muttered.

Thane looked up and down the length. "There must be thousands.. millions of these pods. They could strike every human colony in the Terminus systems and fill only a fraction."

"They're not going to stop at the Terminus systems," Shepard said in shock. "They're going to drive right to Earth itself when they've exhausted our outlying colonies. It's the only way they could ever fill this."

"All the more reason they must be stopped then," Samara said.

Further exploration yielded little useful information until they finally came upon a centrally located room. Within was a multitude of computers built into the walls of the ship, consoles, more pods. Laying on one of the tables was a dead collector.

"What in the hell, experimenting on their own?" he asked, glancing back at Tali. "See if you can get EDI linked into their computer systems. We need to figure out what's going on here."

The quarian nodded, quickly going to work on one of the consoles. They all waited nervously, watching the exits, until EDI spoke through the speakers on the console. "Commander... I have discovered a great deal of extremely important information. I am downloading as much as possible."

"Understood. Any idea what kind of experiments were going on here?"

"Negative, Commander. I-," the AI paused. "Correction. I am verifying something. Commander, this is extremely troubling. It seems the Collector's have a quadruple DNA strand structure."

"I'm not Mordin, EDI. Break it down for me."

"Commander, the only known race to have quadruple strand DNA were the Protheans. This specimen shares over 85% percent similarity with known Prothean data, but shows extensive evidence of genetic rewrite."

"Goddess," Samara breathed.

Shepard looked at the dead Collector in dawning horror. "They didn't wipe the Protheans out. They enslaved them and turned them into these things..."

"That would seem to be a correct hypothesis, Commander," EDI confirmed.

His eyes widened. "That means they aren't just working for the Reapers like the geth. They are the servants of the Reapers. EDI, finish that data feed. We've getting out of here. I haven't seen any signs of survivors."

The ship shook all around them and his comm lines gave only static. Everyone crouched, bracing themselves with weapons drawn. He kept attempting to raise the comms with no response.

"God dammit!" he cursed. "I knew something wasn't right. EDI, do you copy?"

"We're here, sir," Joker replied. "Everything went dark for a minute and I got a creepy little bug guy hologram looking at me, but systems are coming back online."

"Commander, I recommend that you return to the shuttle immediately. The vessel is powering up," EDI finally responded. "I was able to reroute the power surge to non-vital systems but we cannot fight the enemy ship in our current condition."

"Understood, move out, double time!" he barked.

"I should also inform you that I found the turian distress signal. It appears to have been forged. In addition, now that the ship has powered up scans show that this ships mass effect signature is identical to the one encountered by the original Normandy two years ago."

"In other words, it's a trap."

"Correct, Commander. I have discovered a final piece of troubling information. I was able to discover that the distress call was a forgery using Cerberus standard decryption algorithms."

He sighed, bringing up the rear as he continued to scan for hostiles. "Great, more bad news. What's that mean?"

"Those algorithms were written by the Illusive Man himself. There is no way that he could not have detected that this signal was fake."

"Son of a bitch set us up. We'll deal with that later."

"Commander Shepard, I believe we are no longer alone," Samara said. Collector drones were lighting ahead of them, rifles already spitting fire in their direction. The one in the lead suddenly rose in the air, body humming with energy. His eyes narrowed. Harbinger.

"Shepard," the voice echoed throughout the ship. "Accept your fate, we offer Ascension."

The rest of his team had already opened fire, a few drones falling immediately, but the rounds that struck the possessed drone seem to have little effect.

The voice laughed. "You cannot harm me. We bring you your salvation."

"Yea? Well I bring a really big gun," Shepard replied. The Widow roared, a beast unleashed from its cage after days of waiting, a heavy slug streaking across the battlefield and taking the Collector full in the chest. The possessed drone staggered once, a hole clean through its midsection, and then disintegrated.

The sudden destruction of the Reaper controlled drone seem to confuse the other Collectors, their scattered counter attack only serving to hasten their demise. EDI's voice echoed in his helmet.

"Commander, I have limited access to their system at present. I am delaying their start up process and have opened a door to your east. You must hurry."

He simply nodded. "Okay, hell with this. My team, run and gun. This has to be fast and messy."

"I will lead the way out, my biotic abilities will shield me from fire," Samara said, already heading towards the door.

"Understood. Garrus, status report!"

"We're good here!" the turian yelled, the sound of a rifle firing echoing over the comm. "Not enough of them to even have a chance of overwhelming us. I'd advise moving quick, though. That might change."

Running full tilt through the ship was certainly an experience, but one he could have lived without. He couldn't fire the heavy rifle while running, instead he held up his submachine gun and heavy pistol akimbo and taking shots at anything that seemed to gain on them. They ran through a much larger area, only to skid to a stop as an arc of blue energy ripped through the ground, barely missing Samara.

A massive, bug-like weapon hovered over the ground. It was almost the size of the shuttle and was a dull gray, shot through with pulsing blue lines just like a husk. Tali shouted back to him.

"What the hell is that?"

"I have no idea, but now isn't the time to ask. Just run! Do not stop!" he ordered. "EDI! I need you to shut the north door behind us after we're through. We've got heavy artillery gunning for us."

"Understood, Commander."

Another arc of energy struck at Thane, the drell deftly tumbling out of the way and rolling back his feet, snapping off a few shots of his pistol that merely chipped away at its considerably armored carapace. He lined up both his weapons and fired, the heavy pistol made a dull thud while the SMG was a rattle of fire, sparking rounds off the thing.

"Hey! Over here!" Shepard shouted. The rest of his team was lightly armored at best. If he was lucky he could absorb at least one of those shots between his shields and armor, which was more than he could say for the others.

The tactic worked, the thing turning its attention towards him as he made a wide circular path around the room, ducking behind pillars to avoid the majority of its fire. Even as he ducked and dodged, his comms crackled to life.

"Crap, we got husks, Boss! Lots of husks. They're heading up your way!" Garrus shouted.

Gritting his teeth Shepard tried to time the war machine's blasts. Finally he dodged out from cover, tossing a tech-grenade with an electric charge right what he could only assume was the 'head'. The light flared and it seemed at least momentarily staggered, letting him put all his effort into a mad dash for the doorway. As he moved past the thing seemed to crackle with power and dropped like a stone, hitting the ground and sending out a shockwave.

He dove at the last moment, shields absorbing the majority of the blast as he tumbled through the doorway.

"Shut it, EDI! Shut it!"

The door slammed shut behind him. Ahead he could hear weapons fire. Samara's voice was in his ear. "Commander, we are doubling back. Tali'Zorah headed back in your direction when she realized you hadn't followed right behind us."

"Damn, damn, damn," he hissed, scrambling to his feet, tossing aside his now completely empty SMG as he ran. "Tali! If you can hear me, get to the shuttle, that's an order! I'm on my way."

The only response was the bark of a shotgun, the sound repeating steadily. Then a static filled reply. "Damn you, _bosh'tets_! They're everywhere, Shepard!"

His armored feet slammed into the ship's floor, drawing every ounce of power from his own body and the cybernetics Cerberus had installed there. He rounded a corner, nearly losing his footing on the smooth floor to see Tali almost completely surrounded by clawing husks, the muzzle of her shotgun practically glowing with excess heat. The fallen forms of at least a dozen of the mindless things lay strewn about. Another seemed to be pulling itself out of the deck itself. The vents, the things were in the ship's vents!

"Tali!" he shouted, drawing a bead with his pistol. One shot. Two. One of the husks spun from the impact, falling to the ground. In rapid succession he emptied the gun, taking out another husk but missing the one that was rising to its feet behind the quarian. She had dropped her shotgun, drawing her pistol and firing rapidly into the nearest one's chest, but she didn't understand his frantic warning.

He was still a hundred yards away, even as fast as he was running. The sharp claws of the husk were more than enough to tear through even the tough material of her environment suit, if the wound didn't kill her the massive exposure to contamination might. But his gun spat out its glowing thermal mag, overheated.

"God dammit, no!" Shepard yelled, pushing himself forward, empty hand extended as if he could curse the offending husk by force of will alone even as it lunged to strike.

And then pain shot through his head like a bullet, immediately followed by something else, energy washing over him in a rush. His helmet's HUD shimmered and died. He blinked the pain away as he ran, eyes wide as he watched the husk jerk in mid swing, its momentum suddenly halted as it was jerked to the side as if by an invisible hand. It's form seemed to twist and great gouges appeared in its synthetic flesh, crackling with faint dark blue energy, before it tumbled to the ground lifeless.

Tali had finally turned to notice the danger at his howl of anger, only to watch her attacker fall. Another husk lunged at her but got a face full of her pistol. The things momentum took her into the wall, her body striking the unyielding surface hard. She staggered and fell, barely keeping a grip on her pistol, but she managed.

New shots rang out, the comforting song of an assault rifle. The half a dozen husks that were left to advance on the fallen quarian suddenly found themselves under a hail of fire. One was shrouded in a telltale blue glow and sent flying back into the wall with enough force that Shepard could hear its bones crack.

Finally he reached the bottom of the ramp, using his own considerable momentum to drive the remaining husk into the wall. His hands reached up and grasp the things head, yanking to the side with all his might, then letting it fall from his grasp, its neck snapped.

He knelt next to Tali, yanking off his helmet. Something had apparently fried the electronics. "Tali? Can you hear me? Are you okay?"

"Uhh," the quarian groaned. "Sorry... everything spinning. Suit... seems intact."

Samara and Thane were there a moment later, the asari looking intrigued. "I wasn't aware that you were a latent biotic, Commander."

"I... what?" he asked. The asari pointed to her own nose. He raised his hand, rubbing beneath his nose his gauntleted fist coming away stained with blood. What in the hell had happened? "I thought you..."

Both Thane and Samara shook their heads. "No, we only came around the corner to see the husk fall."

"Whatever, I don't care how it happened," he said. "We have to get out of here. Come on, Tali."

He tried to help her to her feet, a hiss of pain coming from her helmet as she staggered, grasping the front of her visor. "I was stupid, Shepard. Just thought... you were getting left behind again. Keelah, my head. Just go, I... I can keep up."

"To hell with this," Shepard growled. "I know it hurts, Tali, just hold on."

He tossed his heavy rifle to Thane and without asking scooped the quarian up. With the adrenaline pumping through him like liquid fire and the cybernetics she was surprisingly light. He jerked his head forward.

"Now go!"

They ran, already he could hear more husks emerging behind them and the increasingly familiar whine of Collector wings. Tali didn't even make an objection to his manhandling of her, which meant she definitely must have been in pain. Finally they reached the area where the shuttle had landed, leaping down from a slight ledge.

"'Bout time, Boss!" Garrus shouted, assault rifle firing towards the other entrance. The turian stiffened when he saw him carrying Tali. "Shit, is she hit?"

"Concussion I think, we have to get out of here or it's a moot point. Fall back!"

Garrus nodded curtly, motioning for Zaeed and Grunt to make a firing retreat as Thane ran into the shuttle, firing up the engines. Seconds later the others piled in, Garrus the last, pounding on the bulkhead as he closed the door.

"Go, go, go!" the turian barked.

The sound of assault rifle rounds pinging the hull slowly faded as the shuttle pulled out and headed for the Normandy. Shepard had Tali in the seat next to him, quickly checking her for wounds. After a few moments Garrus tapped him on the shoulder and handed over his ear piece. Mordin's voice greeted him.

"Commander. Monitoring vital signs from Dr. Chakwas' lab. Garrus informed that Tali'Zorah injured. Initial suggestion of concussion likely correct. Should not be life threatening, merely dazing. Quarian brain less danger of swelling than human. Still bring her to med-bay immediately for examination."

"Thanks, Mordin," he sighed, letting Tali slump against him. She kept mumbling something but he just patted her shoulder and told her to relax. He pulled on his now dead helmet just so he didn't have to keep holding it.

What had happened back there? He'd never been exposed to eezo in his life. Never show any potential for the biotic mutations. Yet somehow he'd done something that had clearly been biotic in nature. He shook his head. It didn't matter at that moment, whatever it was it had arrived at the greatest moment of need.

Shepard sat, careful to not even look down at the injured quarian at his side, as they approached the Normandy's cargo bay. It had also made him realize in one horrific moment how close he'd come to losing someone that mattered to him. And just how much she mattered.

He finally glanced down, his voice an unheard whisper thanks to the dead audio pick ups in the helmet. "I think I've went and fallen for a sweet quarian girl, Tali. But don't worry, if you're lucky I'll make sure you never know what a fool I am. You deserve so much more."

The shuttle touched down, and almost immediately Shepard felt the ship jump as the mass effect core engaged. He closed his eyes.

"Damn you for a fool, John Shepard. Damn you."


	14. Chapter 13

"Commander, we have activated the mass effect core and set course back for Council space," EDI's voice said, coming through a small speaker at this wrist. "The Collector ship will not be able to align in time to give pursuit."

"Thank you, EDI. Tell Joker he did well," Shepard said, removing his helmet once more, still at a loss of what to do with it. Finally he shrugged and tossed it on the floor of the shuttle. He could deal with it later.

"Tell Chakwas that Tali is coming to the med-bay ASAP and I want a line open to the Illusive Man as of 10 minutes ago, EDI. We're going to have a very frank conversation."

"Understood, Commander."

Grunt was watching him, and then turning his attention to Tali. "That was a great battle, Shepard. Your enemies continue to prove worthy. Is the quarian going to survive?"

"Tali will be fine, Grunt," he replied, stressing her name and trying to keep the sharpness from his voice. "But Chakwas will make sure."

Shepard's emotions kept veering back and forth, concern for Tali then back to a burning rage at the Illusive Man for knowingly sending them into a trap and at himself for trusting the organization that had gotten a platoon of his fellow soldiers slaughtered for a science experiment. Next to him Tali groaned, one hand clutching her visor.

"I can... can make it to Chakwas. Head just hurts, kind of dizzy," she groaned, voice still quiet and strained. He felt his hands tighten into a fist, he wanted to take her all the way to medical himself. But he had a job to do, make sure there wasn't a chance of them being followed. Confront the Illusive Man about the disaster they had narrowly escaped. Finally he looked to Garrus.

"You can barely stand. Mordin says quarians aren't as prone to some of the more deadly consequences of a head injury as humans... but I'm not taking chances. Garrus?"

"On it, Boss," he said with a nod. Following Shepard's lead from before he simply scooped up the injured girl in both arms. "I'll get her there and make sure she gets checked out. You go all spitting fire and nails on Mr. Dark and Mysterious."

"Gladly," Shepard growled. He tore his attention from his injured friend finally and cycled the airlock.

The rest of the team was quickly piling out of their respective transports, the secondary team for extracting survivors having never left the cargo bay. Shepard and Garrus were first in the elevator, Tali had stopped protesting being carried around, apparently having lapsed back into unconsciousness. The turian stepped out first with another reassuring nod at the commander before letting it continue on to the CIC. Stepping out of the elevator the first person he saw was Kelly.

"Chambers. Has EDI established the link with the Illusive Man?"

"I think so, Commander," Kelly replied quickly, following after him as he spun on his heel, heading towards the briefing room. "Commander, are you sure you want to do this right now? I mean, clearly you're upset that Miss Zorah was injured, maybe-"

"Yes, right now. My head is pounding like a thousand krogan warriors wielding jackhammers are dancing around in there and that son of a bitch nearly got Tali and the rest of my team killed. You can psychoanalyze me later," he cut her off.

Stepping into the briefing room he let the door slid shut behind him, leaving the yeoman looking slightly lost standing in the empty corridor. Taking his position in the holoscanner he felt his fists clench and unclench. He wanted to break something, badly, even as the room faded and was replaced by the emptiness that was the Illusive Man's office. The man in question was in his usual place, seated with cigarette in hand.

"Ah, Shepard. I thought I might be getting a call from you. Good work on the Collector vessel."

"Good job?" he asked, incredulously. "Good job surviving a trap?"

"It was a calculated risk, but I had confidence in your abilities," the Illusive Man replied casually.

"Risk?You god damn near got my entire team slaughtered! I was one lucky break from watching one my friends die in front of me!"

The man sighed. "Listen to me, Shepard. This is a war-"

"No, you listen to me!" Shepard practically snarled, cutting the man off with a sharp gesture. "The only reason I'm not on the way to put this entire frigate so far up your ass that you'd be capable of FTL travel is because I don't know where you are! You send my team on a mission that you know to be a trap and don't even tell me, and you expect me to trust you?"

"I couldn't risk giving the enemy a chance to realize we were aware of their ploy. Besides, you have a team of the best and the Collectors weren't aware of EDI, that was quite an edge."

"Bullshit! You might have brought me back, but beyond that you're good for one thing: information. If I can't trust that information then you are useless to me!"

"You forget your place, Shepard. I brought you back to save the entire human race, I gave you a ship, funding, a crew. Someone has to make the hard decisions, I was hoping that someone would be you, but if you're not up to it then I have to," the Illusive Man said, leaning forward in his chair now. Some of the casual air had gone from his voice, annoyance more clearly heard now.

Shepard smiled, it was humorless and predatory. Good. He needed his perfect world shaken. He pointed at the man, managing to control his voice but the edge was still there.

"Yes, and now it's my ship and my crew. You want to stop the Reapers? Then stop trying to play puppet master and put your money where your mouth is! I don't belong to anyone, not you, not the Council, not the Alliance. So either you stop treating me like a subordinate or I rip this ridiculously expensive communication console out and we see just how loyal this ship and her crew are to Cerberus."

The two men seemed to stare at each other for a few long moments, Shepard dropping his arm but still standing with one foot forward, locking his own eyes with the eerie synthetic glow of the Illusive Man's. Another time he might have been bluffing, but after the events of the last few days he was too on edge to play the game any longer.

All he could think of were the lives lost. Akuze. Virmire. The Normandy. Garrus bleeding out on the dirty floor of an Omega warehouse. Tali, less than fifteen minutes ago feeling something curl up and die inside him when he watched that husk lunge for her as if in slow motion. The only reason he was only angry instead of purely enraged was because of a scientific impossibility. The hand of god in the machine.

Finally the Illusive Man relented. "Fine. From now on I'll try to remember to treat you as an equal, Shepard. You must understand, I have been doing this for a long time. I only have humanity's best interests at heart, but sometimes to save a million a thousand have to die. Those are the choices that good men, leaders, are going to have to make."

"Then you let me make them, informed and aware of all of the consequences," Shepard said. "I won't throw lives away when there is another way."

"Don't let your idealism damn us all," he replied, pointing at him, the lit cherry of his cigarette acting like an emphasis to his words. "We're dealing with their servants now. When the Reapers themselves come entire worlds might fall before we can stop them, worlds that we will have to let burn to have a chance at victory. If we are to survive, your hands won't be clean. It's the sacrifice we all have to make."

Shepard's mouth was set in a grim line. "My hands are far from clean. We'll worry about that when the time comes, for now we worry about the threat at hand."

"Agreed," the Illusive Man nodded. "You should at least be happy to know that your operation was a success despite your... misgivings. We were able to obtain a massive amount of data. Among that was information on the Omega 4 relay, confirming that somewhere beyond that relay is indeed their base of operations. We're still trying to get more information, but this finally gives us a potential target."

"It's something at least," Shepard said. His anger had abated somewhat, still present but now more like an animal prowling at the back of his mind. "What about mean time? That ship is still out there."

"It is, but they'll be even more cautious now. This is twice we've met them on their own terms and come out on top. EDI was definitely a wild card they weren't prepared for. From the data already sifted through we have some ideas as to their tactical capabilities. My recommendation would be to stay the course you have been," the Illusive Man suggested. "I've looked at some of the technical readout reports on the Normandy. There is a great deal of potential to transform her into an even more formidable warship, but if that's going to be accomplished it's up to you. My resources aren't limitless."

"If it improves our chances I'll fill the cargo hold with horseshoes and four leaf clovers."

"I don't think that will be necessary, but as you said, it's your ship. I'll be in touch as soon as we've decrypted more of EDI's data from the Collector vessel," the man said. Shepard gave him a curt nod and cut the connection.

Leaving the briefing room he stepped back onto the CIC and then headed to the cockpit. Joker was munching on a standard issue military chocolate bar when he arrived. He arched an eyebrow and the pilot merely shrugged.

"What can I say, near blown up experiences give me cravings."

Shepard couldn't help but crack a smile. "I won't even ask who's ration your filching from. Good work on getting us out of there."

"Thanks, Commander. Good that someone appreciates my unparalleled flying abilities."

"Other than you, you mean?"

"Of course," Joker responded, mouth full of chocolate. Shepard turned to leave and then paused, looking back at the console and pausing.

"Good work on your end as well, EDI. We couldn't have gotten out of that ship if not for you. And I wouldn't have known about the Illusive Man's misinformation."

The AI didn't respond immediately, almost as if not expecting the acknowledgement. After a moment the blue sphere that was EDI's manifestation pulsed as the AI spoke.

"You are welcome, Commander. I was built by Cerberus but my primary programming has always been for loyalty to the ship and its crew."

Shepard nodded. "Good. The Illusive Man and I have come to... something of an understanding but I still want to make it clear that this is my ship and my crew. If you get a chance can you forward a listing of any tracking or listening devices to myself, Tali, and Miranda?"

"Of course," the AI agreed. "But as you know I have blocks in my system preventing access to much of Cerberus' classified information."

"Don't worry, I know. Just send what you have. And keep playing nice, you two."

"Yes, Mom," Joker said, rolling his eyes.

"I will endeavor to continue to work with Mr. Moreau with minimal complications, Commander."

"Can't ask for more than that, EDI," Shepard said, heading back towards the elevator. He stumbled slightly stepping in. Without the anger pumping through him he felt suddenly drained.

He was used to the dip after a battle, it was something you became accustom to after a time, feeling a little slower and even a little melancholy as the adrenaline disappeared. This was more of a bone weary feeling, as if the entire days events had occurred in the space of the past few minutes and hit him all at once. Still, he had things to do before he could rest. His first stop was going to be the med-bay. Mordin had sounded confident that Tali wasn't in danger but he wanted to be sure.

"Ah, Commander. I expected we'd be seeing you soon," Chakwas greeted him, sparing a critical eye for his still armored bulk. "You could have taken the time to get out of your armor. Tali's condition is stable, she just took a nasty blow to the head. She'll probably have a few bruises to go along with it, but no permanent damage."

"I still wanted to be sure, she seemed really out of it and we didn't have time to check her vitals. I was afraid moving her might have caused more damage..." Shepard said.

The doctor smiled, shaking her head. "Mordin was monitoring you all, as you well know. Quarians are similar to humans, but not identical obviously. Everything I know about them says that rather than being a risk for swelling and damage, parts of their brain simply shut down for brief periods of time while they recover after a blow to the head."

Shepard sighed and glanced to the bed where Tali was laying, apparently asleep. "Understood, doc, overreacting. It just... it got really close. By all rights I, we, should have lost her today."

"I know. Everyone was pushing the red lines on their vitals, you most of all. Your blood pressure and heart rate made some extremely irregular spikes even for a combat situation," she said, scrolling through a datapad. Chakwas looked ready to continue when one of the displays behind her beeped loudly, drawing her attention away. It was probably for the best, he wasn't entirely sure what had happened on board the enemy ship.

"Damn machine, it's still programmed for humans. It's trying to wake her up because she has a concussion."

She shook her head and moved to correct the error. Tali was stirring on the bed as Chakwas approached, Shepard behind her. She hadn't spoken, instead looking around as if confused. He saw her muscles tense.

"Tali?" Chakwas asked.

The quarian's hands shot up to grab at her visor. A moment later her actions became more frantic, finger tips clawing at the smooth surface of the plastic as if trying to tear it off. The doctor quickly moved to her side to check her vitals.

"Tali, you're okay. Calm down," she tried to soothe the woman, only to narrowly dodge aside as the quarian's leg kicked out at her when she came into range.

"What the hell?" Shepard muttered.

"Shepard, help me! I have to sedate her, I think she's trying to get the suit off and this is most definitely not a clean room!"

Her breathing came shallow and quick through the visors modulator. She seemed to alternate between trying to pull the mask off her head and kicking out at Chakwas. The only thing Shepard could think of was a frightened animal. Gritting his teeth he closed the distance to the bedside.

Tali's first kick caught him in the stomach. He had time to contemplate just how strong her legs were despite her slim build as he felt the air leave his lungs. The fact that he was wearing his armor was quite possibly the only reason he didn't feel ribs cracking. Still, he was able to get closer than Chakwas, reaching forward to grasp her wrists, pulling them away from her visor. He could almost swear he heard a low pitched growl come from her voice box.

"Tali, please, listen... you have to calm down. Calm down," he repeated, even as she strained against him. Her legs still kicked outwards, keeping the doctor away. She seemed to become more frantic with every passing minute.

"Tali!" he barked. His voice was firm and deep, the same tone he used when issue orders in the heat of battle. The quarian's head snapped around to focus on him, silver eyes wide beneath her visor.

"Look at me, Tali. You're safe. Everyone is safe," Shepard said, voice lower but keeping the firm and level tone. He kept a light grip on her wrists as she raised a hand, one fingertip touching the scar on his face, the same one he remembered she'd touched that evening the car patching him up.

With her focus on him Chakwas was able to approach and quickly activated a control on the medical unit. There was a faint hiss and Tali's muscles tensed once more, straining for a moment, before immediately relaxing. Silver eyes fluttered and then closed, letting him ease her back down to the bed.

Shepard looked over her to Chakwas. "What the hell was that?"

"Unexpected. I have spent years collecting data on numerous species but my data on quarians isn't as thorough as I'd like. I think it might have something to do with the way their bodies deal with the trauma," she replied, examining the screen next to her bed. "From what I can tell the part of her brain that reasons was mostly quiet for that incident. She was running on instinct."

"I've woken up... a little out of it before, but it was like she didn't even know who she was the way she was trying to tear the mask off."

"I don't think she did, at least not in the way you mean. Thank you, Commander. I'm sorry I didn't realize the danger. If you hadn't been here this could have ended badly," Chakwas said.

"You couldn't have known, Tali is the only quarian you've probably dealt with in a long time."

The doctor checked the monitors one more time before looking back to him with a small smile. "True, and now I know, quite more than I expected, actually. You go a long way to supporting the theory of intrinsic leadership, Shepard. She reacted to your presence and tone rather than your words."

"Just seemed... logical, get her attention, get her focused," he said with a shrug. "If she's going to be alright I still need to make some rounds before I finally pry myself out of this armor. Notify me if anything else happens."

"Of course."

Once more Shepard made his way to the elevator. Apparently this was going to just be one of those days. He wasn't still entirely clear one what had just happened with Tali, but she seemed to be resting comfortably, and there was something heartening in the idea that even running on instinct she still trusted him. Even recognized him if the light touch of her fingers had been any indication. He quickly shoved that thought away as the doors opened.

Striding into the engine room he addressed his other two head engineers. "Ken, Gabby."

"Morn'n... or afternoon, never can tell on a ship," Donnelly said.

"Sir," Gabby replied a little more formally.

"Tali was injured on the last mission, I'm going to order Chakwas to keep her in med-bay for at least the next day until I'm sure she's better. In the meantime I'm going to need you two to keep things running. If you need an extra pair of hands then draft Garrus. He can find his way around a machine as well as I can."

"You don't 'ave to worry, Commander. Tali's a wonder of an engineer but me an' Gabby can keep the ol' girl going jus' fine. Managed to not blow her up before Tali got 'ere after all," Donnelly promised.

"Don't worry, I had faith in you already. And as I said, if you do need a three fingered devil, there's one in the main battery that cannot be doing calibrations as much as he claims."

He left the two engineers to their duties. There was another member of his crew that he needed to visit, one he hadn't dealt with as much as he should have. Shepard had made a point to have a talk with her right after she came aboard, laying down some ground rules, and managed to get at least a small glimmer of her past out of her. A Cerberus experiment to create more powerful human biotics. Exactly what they'd done to her hadn't been revealed. But he could guess.

Jogging down the stairs he found Jack, with her cot and small stockpile of supplies, sitting there reading through a stack datapads. She still wore the same baggy pants and barely concealing leather straps. Apparently she'd also found a razor as her head was still shaved.

"Well, if it isn't the big fuck'n hero come to talk to the evil criminal," Jack sneered.

"Sorry, Jack. I've had a great deal on my mind... and you seem to prefer your privacy anyways."

"Yea, don't be a pussy about it," she said, tossing the datapad aside. "Beside I can't be too pissed off, you actually kept your end of the bargain. Never figured Cerberus would actually let me go through this pile of goodies."

"That's because I'm not Cerberus. I just happen to be working with them," he replied. "Whatever is painted on the side, this is my ship."

The biotic stood, pacing a small circle, before turning to him and hopping up onto the table to sit there with her legs dangling. "I've seen how you act, so maybe I believe that and this is one hell of a ship. You know you could just tell Cerberus to just fuck off... go pirate. You'd live like a king in this ship. All the credits you could want... all the violence I could ever ask for."

"We both know that isn't going to happen," Shepard said. "I read up on you, I'm sure you read up on me."

"Yea, was worth a shot though. I watched some of your combat vids, you know to kill as well as anyone that was on Purgatory," she said. "So what are you down here for? Finally decided to take advantage of the half naked girl on your ship? I mean at least you showed up dressed appropriately."

The smile on Jack's face was devious as she leaned back on her hands, arching slightly. One eyebrow cocked at him. He ignored the Purgatory comment, no matter how close it hit to home. She leaned forward again, one hand stretching out to tap at his breastplate.

He reached up and grasped her wrist. "No, Jack."

"Too good for me?" she asked, her expression becoming venomous.

"Probably not good enough," he said, letting go. "I don't know what game you're playing. But this isn't Purgatory. Or Omega. Or any of the other hellholes you've survived in. You don't have to use sex as a weapon to get by."

"What the fuck do you know, Shepard?"

He held his ground despite seeing tiny flashes of blue energy leaping between her fingertips. "I know from what I've read you've had the worst damn draw of about any human being I've met. Whatever Cerberus did to you was wrong. Maybe you think it justifies being a ruthless bitch... but I'm not some dumb merc or pirate. You want to keep up appearances? Fine. But I don't give a damn about your reputation or your body, this might come as a shock but I'm not interested in using you. I brought you on board because I thought you'd be an asset to this team."

"Everyone uses everyone," she snorted, flopping down her cot. The fire was gone from her voice this time, though.

"No, people use people. Friends help friends."

"Friends are just people that fuck you over after they smile at you."

"You should try it without the fucking at some point, you might be surprised," Shepard shot back.

Jack turned her head to peer at him suspiciously. Apparently she wasn't used to people actually arguing with her. Finally she reached beneath her cot and tossed a datapad at him. He caught it, albeit awkwardly, as she swung herself into a sitting position.

"Okay, how about this? I found where they did those experiments on me as a kid. Where they screwed with my head. It's an abandoned Cerberus facility. You want to do me a favor, let's fly out into the middle of nowhere, and then when we get there, I want to go to my room and blow up the biggest god damn bomb you've got on this ship in there."

Shepard looked at the datapad for a moment, absorbing the contents. Finally he nodded. "Okay."

"See? Wait, what?"

"I said okay. We don't have a particular urgent destination at the moment. If it lets you kill some of those demons I don't see why not."

"Well, damn. Wasn't expecting that one," Jack said. "Fine, wake me up when we get there."

"Will do."

He made his way back up the stairs. Originally he had wanted ask what she knew about the biotic enhancements that Cerberus had performed on her... and if any of them had involved 'turning' people into biotics. For now he'd let it lie, though. First he needed to prove to her that the world didn't have to revolve around a vicious give and take.

Deck three greeted him again after another short elevator ride. He suppressed a yawn and shook his head, rapping on the door to Miranda's office. The door slid open to reveal her at her terminal.

"Commander. Is there a problem? I thought you'd at least be out of your armor by now."

"I don't know, I think I need you to tell me," Shepard replied. He sat heavily in one of the chairs, running an armored hand through the stubble that was his hair. "Did Cerberus make any additions when they brought me back? Beyond what was needed to rebuild me."

Miranda looked slightly perplexed but nodded. "Of course. I'm sure you've already noticed the increased muscle strength. The Illusive Man said to bring you back 'as you were', but didn't seem to have any issues if the best available cybernetics were used when we couldn't regenerate all of the damage to your body."

He frowned. "I noticed. I was always in good shape but I'm well beyond human now. I don't know whether to thank or curse you for that. But that isn't what I meant. I mean did you try to... add any abilities I didn't already have? Like, say, biotic ability."

"Oh hell..." Miranda said, her eyes widening.

"You have to be kidding me?" he growled.

"No, you don't understand. When you died you were spaced and then fell to the planet below along with a great deal of the wreckage of the Normandy. When we got you back here we noticed that you had been exposed to some of the element zero in the wreckage," she explained.

"The combination of drugs, nanotechnology, and cell cloning... it made you manifest some of the traits as a biotic that had been exposed at a young age. We went ahead and installed an available biotic implant among your cybernetics just in case."

"So you just thought, hey, let's not mention that we might have brought you back as a biotic?"

Miranda shook her head. "But you never showed any manifestation of any biotic ability. I simply concluded that the exposure and rejuvenation process wasn't sufficient to give you those abilities. Are you saying that you've manifested biotics?"

"I don't know what else to call it," he shrugged. Rubbing his neck he continued. "On the ship... Tali came back for me. But she was ambushed by the husks. She didn't see one behind her and my gun was overheated."

His XO eased back in her chair, looking thoughtful. "I am aware that Miss Zorah and I haven't had the most... warm relationship, but I can understand that that must have been an unpleasant situation for you."

Shepard felt his hands clench at the memory. "It was. But I was running toward her even if I knew I couldn't possibly make it in time and... it was like all my focus was on that single husk, reaching for it. And the next thing I knew my head was screaming and the husk was jerking like someone was riddling it with bullets. Had the same sort of glow I see when you or one of the others use biotics."

"I am sorry that I didn't mention this before,Com - Shepard," she said, correcting herself. "But I also don't know exactly what you did to the husk. What you're describing isn't an ability I've ever mastered. I can use my biotics to act as an outside force on an enemy. What you're describing sounds almost as if you manifested a field within the husk."

"Well, I guess it's good that we just recruited a centuries old asari, no?"

Miranda nodded. "I suppose so. From reading Thane's dossier he also has some biotic ability. And of course there is Jack. But I'm not sure if she's going to be the best person for advice."

"Actually on that note... have Joker set a course for these coordinates," Shepard said, tapping some information into his omni-tool and sending it. "We have a side trip that needs taking care of."

"Odd place to go, but I'll make sure we set a course immediately," she said.

"We have an odd crew," he shrugged.

Standing to leave her office, Shepard gave a final parting comment. "I think this is one of the first conversations we've had without an argument. Maybe this XO thing will work out after all."

"Time will tell, Shepard," came her reply, but there was an element of humor there.

Moving down the hall, he found himself at the port observation deck, opposite of where Kasumi had taken up residence. He tapped the door controls once and stepped in. Samara was sitting on the floor 'indian style' as humans referred to it. Her body was wreathed in the blue shimmer of biotic energy. After a few moments the glow faded and the asari opened her eyes.

"Commander Shepard."

"Samara."

"You appear troubled," she commented.

"A day on the ship and I'm already that easy to read?" the spectre laughed, easing himself down on one of the couches.

"Six hundred years of experience and you are that easy to read. I will admit you humans are extremely expressive, so it is easier than most."

"It's a gift," he snorted. "I wanted to see how you were settling in. I realize that as far as first missions go that wasn't the best introduction to the team."

The justicar shrugged. "We faced a powerful enemy that sought to entrap us. While I will admit that the team you have assembled is... eccentric and I am unused to working with others, there is no denying the effectiveness. Despite the odds you managed the avoid any casualties."

"It was closer than I would have liked."

"Ah yes, the quarian girl. I was not aware that you possessed biotic abilities, Commander."

"That would be the other reason I came to talk to you. Until recently I wasn't aware of the fact either," he said, holding up a hand to forestall the inevitable question. "It apparently has something to do with the way Cerberus brought me back, don't ask. The issue is I don't know what I did, much less how I did it."

"Truly?" Samara asked, one brow arched. "Interesting. I would have expected the technique you displayed to be performed by an experienced biotic. Among the asari it is rarely taught as it is a strictly offensive ability. The old term is 'To Reave the Soul'."

"That sounds... unpleasant."

"It is. In essence you are generating a biotic field within the body of your target, the force of which does enormous damage to bone, muscle, sinew... it is devastatingly effective, but extremely painful. And also very difficult to execute. If I may ask, what were you focusing on when you manifested the ability?"

Shepard sat for a moment, looking out at the stars beyond the view port. "I was running towards Tali... I saw the husk lunging. I just... focused on that threat, everything else kind of disappeared for a moment as if I was in a tunnel. All I could think of was doing anything to stop it. I was angry. So very angry."

Samara nodded. "Children often develop their abilities in moments of great stress. It is only logical that you would react in a moment a moment of extreme emotion. Heart and soul knew what purpose you wished to achieve, even if your mind was not aware of the capability. And so you did. Tread carefully, Commander. The power you have is deadly, but unfocused."

"I don't know how I did it then, I don't think I could pull off a repeat performance on command," he said.

"Maybe it is for the best. I merely ask that you be conscious of the danger."

"I will, and I appreciate the advice," Shepard thanked her. "If you have need of anything else, please don't hesitate to ask. Miranda can get you anything you need if I'm not available."

"I have all that I need, but I thank you for the consideration. I would advise rest, Commander. In your current state you would prove little challenge to a capable opponent."

He merely laughed tiredly, leaving the observation port and stepping back into the corridor to find Thane and Kasumi standing next to the elevator, apparently talking. The hooded woman smiled and pointed as soon as she noticed him, looking satisfied with herself.

"Told ya he wouldn't be resting yet," the thief said, then added in a mock whisper to the drell. "He's stubborn."

Shepard shook his head and addressed Thane. "I see you've met our resident second story girl."

"Ah yes, she has been quite helpful," the assassin replied, his voice the same gravelly, quiet tone he'd spoken in since they'd met him.

Kasumi shrugged, glancing over at the door leading to the med-bay.

"Is she alright?"

"She'll be fine, she's sleeping now, just got a nasty blow to the head," he replied.

"Good. I'll visit her later, sure she'll get bored stuck in there. I'll leave you boys to business," Kasumi chirped, and then abruptly vanished.

The two men stood there for a moment, looking at the space where she had been before meeting gazes and giving a shrug. Finally Thane spoke.

"You have an interesting crew, Shepard. I was looking to speak with you if you had a moment, but if you would prefer to relieve yourself of your armor we can speak later."

Shepard shook his head and gestured for Thane to lead on. "Don't worry about it, I think the armor is the only thing keeping me up at the moment anyways. I wanted to speak to you as well, so I think a few more minutes won't kill me."

The assassin led the way to one of the rooms near life support, letting Shepard enter before following. Inside the air was slightly drier than it was on the rest of the ship, the faint harshness to the air noticeable. Thane apparently didn't have a great deal of personal effects either, a pair of bags stowed beneath his cot and a few datapads on a nearby desk. The only thing of particular note was a storage case that had been previously empty was now filled with a number of weapons. Among a number of rifles and blades was a light anti-infantry machine gun. A Revenant if he had to guess.

Noticing the look the commander gave the weapon, Thane tapped the glass over the weapon. "Precision is the mark of an artist. But there are times when the wide brushstrokes of a more simple painter are necessary."

"Old saying on Earth: 'Professionals are predictable, it's amateurs that are dangerous'."

"How very true," Thane agreed, taking a seat facing the door, and waiting for Shepard to join him.

"I'll tell you the same thing I told Samara," Shepard said as he took the offered seat. "Sorry that your first mission was almost a suicide mission."

"The performance of yourself and your entire team was admirable. As far as I am concerned it simply made it clear that you were serious about the mission at hand," the drell replied. "Which is also the reason I wished to speak with you. I know that you expressed concerns regarding my illness when we met on Illium."

"From what I saw you didn't seem impaired. Quite the contrary, you're one amazingly agile combatant. If I hadn't already been impressed back on Illium I would be now."

"Thank you, it is sadly the only art I know, but I am at least accomplished at it," Thane said, bowing his head. "As for my illness it something known as Kepler's Syndrome, it is not contagious, even to other drell."

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Shepard asked. "The Normandy has state of the art medical facilities."

Thane's smile was grim. "I suspect that if the entire Enlightened Hanar government has not been able to find a cure even your considerably skilled team is not going to be able to do much better. My species comes from an extremely arid world. When the hanar saved us from extinction and settled us on their world our lungs were not accustomed to the high humidity. Some of us, after time, develop Kepler's Syndrome. Eventually my lungs will fail, unable to properly absorb oxygen."

The human tapped his fingers on the desk in front him him, frowning. "I'm sorry, Thane. That's not a death anyone deserves."

"Maybe. Maybe not. Either way the degeneration will not be advanced enough to begin to slow me down for at least a few months, so I will not be a hindrance to your mission. When I found out the truth of my condition I set out to make the universe a little brighter place before I passed. That is when you found me in Dantius' tower."

The drell continued. "I have taken many lives in my time, Shepard. Most at the behest of the hanar, some... not. If my time has come for me to leave this world then bringing an end to the damned last remnants of the Protheans... a man can ask for little more than such an epitaph."

"If I've learned anything it's to never give up hope, Thane," Shepard responded. "But if this is going to be your final act... then I'm honored that you choose to serve with me."

"May the gods look favorably upon us. Now I will let you rest, Commander. I am fatigued from our actions aboard the Collector's ship, I am sure that you are even more so."

"Very true," Shepard said. "If you need anything just make sure you tell me or Miranda. Or Garrus."

Thane simply nodded.

One last trip in the elevator soon found Shepard in his quarters. Slowly he popped the releases on his chest piece and gauntlets, followed by the lower half of the armor and his boots, carefully pulling each piece off and setting it down carefully on the table. He hissed in pain as he popped the shoulder piece loose.

Apparently his armor hadn't quite stopped everything, a thin red line and caked blood showing where a round at found the seam at the shoulder joint. One of the advantages of hyper-velocity rounds at least: you don't usually have to go digging them out. It was mostly a flesh wound anyways, skimming along the top of his shoulder. He'd felt something clip him when they were running for the ship, but with his adrenaline flowing he hadn't even registered it.

Leaving his armor sitting out he stepped into the shower. If there was one perk he couldn't deny liking about Cerberus' more lavish personal quarters it was the shower. The hot water washed away the days grime along with the dried blood, the wound stinging faintly. Feeling slightly more human if not more awake he was able to quickly patch up the wound with some medi-gel and a loose bandage.

"EDI," Shepard said. He was unable to stop a groan as he sank into the softer material slightly, muscles relaxing.

"Yes, Commander?"

"Set an alarm for two hours before we're in shuttle range of our destination. And of course wake me in case of any emergency," he ordered, then added. "Also any communication from Chakwas is to get forwarded through immediately."

"Of course, Commander."

He was asleep almost before she had finished her sentence.


	15. Chapter 14

_He lays on the ground, breath coming in ragged gasps. Hand pressing against his side he can feel warm blood slowly dripping through his fingers. The ground stops shaking, only silence left hanging in the air as he tries to suppress a groan of pain, eyes squeezed shut and teeth clenched. Can't risk making noise, he'd made it this far, nobody else had. So many deaths. He couldn't save any of them._

_A voice speaks in front of him._

_"Going to lay down and die now, boy?"_

_His eyes snap open and focus, blinking rapidly. A man decades his senior sat nearby, wearing an Alliance marine's uniform. His dark, short-cropped hair was streaked with gray._

_"Dad?"_

_"Laying there bleeding won't get you home alive, Johnny," the man says. His tone is firm._

_Shepard shakes his head. "You can't be here, you're dead. You died on Mindoir when I was sixteen."_

_"Well, you died in space six years after this," his father says, gesturing around to the tangled woods where he rested now. "Didn't seem to stop you."_

_He grips his head with his free hand, images flashing through his head of the Normandy, Saren, and the last painful moments floating in space. Older memories, memories of where he his now. Akuze. A young private, smiling at him the hours before drop. Looking down he sees the blood on his hand has long dried, leaving a tacky, stiff feeling. A dream. One he'd been having for six years in one form or another._

_"You keep coming back here. Eventually you won't make it out."_

_"Fifty men landed. I was the only one that survived and they called me a hero," he laughs, wincing in pain. The blood has dried but the pain is always there. "I was just better at running than the rest."_

_"You survived. It's what I always taught you. You keep going, no matter what, because there is always something to live for if you look for it. And I was right, wasn't I? You saved the damn galaxy, boy."_

_The wooded air was still dead silent. He always remembers the silence, the utter stillness as everything seemed to be holding its breath as the largest predator in the galaxy lurked, waiting to rend and slaughter anything that drew its ire. In the months that followed he had taken to tapping his fingers or playing music just to avoid silence._

_"Forty nine men on Akuze. Twenty souls aboard the Normandy," he finally says. "Seems like I don't have a great track record, Dad. People near me tend to die, sooner or later. Or change."_

_"Ah, that's the rub, isn't it?" his father asks, pulling a pipe from his pocket and lighting it. He puffs gently for a few moments before the smoke begins to drift in the air. "Your mother always hated this thing."_

_Pulling the pipe from his lips the older man blew out a faint ring of smoke before continuing. "People change. People die. And now you're afraid. Afraid that the only people you've got left are going to die following you. That the girl you keep thinking about is going to die."_

_At the look of surprise on his son's face, the man only laughs. It was a deep sound, rich. So in contrast to the steel underlying his voice. He taps the side of his head. "All in here, boy. Can't exactly hide from ghosts."_

_Shepard shakes his head. "It's just a feeling, Dad. A stupid feeling."_

_"You think you love her?"_

_"I... I don't know. I just know in those minutes that we just sit and talk about... engineering, her people, whatever, is the only time I feel like a normal human being," Shepard says after a long pause. He makes a dismissive gesture with his hand. "It doesn't matter, she's from another world. Another species even."_

_"Ha! And me and your mom weren't? I was a jarhead from nowhere that joined up at eighteen. She was a college educated career girl in the Fleet. You know the old saying, 'Fleet does the flying, Marines do the dying'. Might not be different species, but pretty damn close."_

_"And if I get her killed? What then? I don't know if I can watch anyone else die that I care about."_

_The ground trembles. Shepard feels his muscles tense, pain shooting up his side from the sharp gash there, his legs aching from running. Still sitting calmly his father slowly savours his pipe, watching the younger marine struggle to his feet without a word. The hunter seeks prey. Always hungry._

_"And what if you don't, Johnny? You keep running, keep stumbling blind, eventually you'll get tired. You already did, once. If you try to go all the way alone you might not come out the other side."_

_He nearly cries out, standing, hands bracing him against the stone he had just been resting against. The trembling continues, growing stronger. Ignoring the older Shepard behind him he keeps pushing forward, compass on the stained armor at his wrist pointing the way towards the extraction point._

_"Find something to live for, son. Before your memories kill you!"_

_His father's voice faded behind him as he ran._

_

* * *

_

The persistent beeping of his requested alarm yanked him out of his dreams. Shepard pulled himself to the edge of the bed, sitting there for a few long minutes after deactivating the alarm. It had been years since he'd really thought of his father. He'd died a hero on a routine deployment when the Mindoir colony had been attacked by batarian slavers. The colony had been completely unprepared and reinforcements had arrived far too late.

He remembered after the funeral on the ride back to the base was one of the only times he'd ever seen his mother cry. Two years later he had joined the military, signing on as a marine to honor his father's memory. Now he wondered just how he measured up, a fusion of muscle and alloy back from the dead.

"EDI, eta to our destination?"

"Approximately two hours, your alarm was sounded as requested, Commander."

"Good. Contact Jacob, tell him I need a pair of sub-fusion type two explosives linked to a single remote detonator in the cargo hold within the hour."

"Done."

"Thank you, EDI."

The AI didn't respond as he went about his routine, pulling on a clean shirt and pants after giving the wound on his shoulder a quick once over. He wanted to check on a few things around the ship before they hit the ground.

Stepping onto the CIC a few minutes later, Kelly approached him. "Good morning, Commander."

"Good morning, anything I should be aware of?"

"No emergencies. Zaeed requested to speak with you when you had a moment. Dr. Chakwas also sent me an update on her patient. Tali apparently regained consciousness a few hours ago, but the doctor is keeping her for observation. She said you'd agree," Kelly informed him. The yeoman was reading over a slim datapad, apparently checking items off. "You also received a few messages, but nothing flagged as urgent."

"I'll leave the messages until after the mission. I'll check in with Zaeed before I get geared up," he said.

"Of course. Commander, regarding the... ah, mission."

He arched an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to advise you to approach this entire exercise with caution. Jack hasn't been interested in talking to me, but from what little I've observed and from her file there is a lifetime of... terrible things that are all tied back to this place," the young woman cautioned. "There is always a danger that this could cause her to become more violent if she's forced to deal with repressed memories."

"She is what Cerberus made her, Kelly."

The woman's usually cheerful face looked pensive. "I know, Commander. Or at least I know she is what someone made her. I was handpicked by the Illusive Man to be part of this mission. I know that his methods are... harsh by many people's standards, ruthless even. But if what she claims is true, what they did at this facility? He's dedicated to humanity but I can't see him sanctioning something like this."

"I guess we'll see."

Shepard left her there, the look in her eyes showing that despite her faith in the work Cerberus did there were doubts there. Taking the elevator to the deck below he made a quick stop by the mess where Gardner was already making something that resembled breakfast. The man wasn't a bad cook, but he didn't have a great deal to work with. Apparently Cerberus had gotten quite a deal on standard Navy issue non-combat rations.

"Morning, sir," Gardner greeted him, sliding a steaming cup towards him unasked.

He nodded in thanks, taking a sip of the dark brew. Despite the quality of the rations the man still managed to acquire actual coffee from somewhere. Or maybe it was just the highest quality thing that still fell under 'Alliance standard issue'. Never mess with a marine's coffee had been a common adage when he'd first signed up. Rather than wait for a meal he simply pulled a protein bar from one of the storage areas in the mess, quickly wolfing the rather tasteless morsel down and following it with the majority of the cup of coffee.

Shepard had intended to head to the cargo deck to speak with Zaeed, but instead found himself walking into the medbay, cup still in hand. He was amused to note Kasumi sitting next Tali's bedside chattering quietly. Chakwas was nowhere to be found. As he approached he noticed the human tap Tali's hand and make her aware of his presence.

"Shepard! There you are," Tali said.

"Morning to you too," he laughed. "Glad to see you're feeling better."

"Sorry," she replied sheepishly. "I am better, but Chakwas wouldn't let me leave. She said she had programmed the med unit to inject me with a sedative if I tried to get out of bed. I tried to hack the med unit but that damn AI has me locked out."

"Access to medical systems is authorized only to Doctor Chakwas and the commanding officer," EDI informed her calmly.

The quarian made a frustrated sound but Kasumi cut her off. "C'mon, Tali. She's the doctor she knows what's best. Besides, you said yourself you got clocked pretty good. You don't even remember Shepard carrying you back to the ship? I watched the vid from the shuttle. It was quite dashing."

"Oh keelah," Tali muttered, fingers drumming on the bed.

Shepard chuckled quietly and gave her a sheepish smile. "Sorry, I know it wasn't dignified but... it was the quickest way and I was... worried. You were pretty out of it."

"Mmmhmm," Kasumi agreed, hopping down from her seat and slipping over to Shepard. From beneath her hood she gave him a rather odd, wide eyed pleading look, then glanced down. There was a moment of confusion before he sighed and shook his head, realizing what she wanted, and handed over the steaming cup.

"Arigato," the thief said, taking the cup. "Talk to me after your fun on the planet. And after you talk to Zaeed."

He looked at her quizzically but got no response, instead she simply made a quick exit with his coffee still in her grasp. Turning his attention back to Tali he smiled and shrugged.

"Strange girl."

"I like her. She's kind of like you. Well, she's not at all like you really, except that she has been nice to me ever since she came on board. You're the only other human that ever just... talked me without the usual 'So you're a quarian' hesitation first," Tali said.

"See, told you we're not all bad. You're now up to two tolerable humans and one turian," he laughed. "I find a female turian somewhere that acts like Garrus and we'll have a matched set."

"That would be an impressive find," she said. Her helmet cocked slightly and he saw the eyes shining behind her visor fix on him. "But you are changing the subject. Get me out of this medbay before Chakwas comes back!"

The door behind him opened with the familiar hiss just as Tali finished her sentence, an equally familiar disapproving noise following right after. It was the same sound he'd heard a dozen times after coming back from a mission where he'd patched up his wounds himself.

"Too late, and you're not going anywhere. Commander Shepard will back me up on this. You took a nasty hit and I'm sure you've got bruisers under that suit despite the padding from the fall," Chakwas said as she entered.

"But I'm okay now, really. Quarians recover quickly from these sorts of things."

By way of response the doctor moved around the side of the bed and pressed two fingers against Tali's hip, making her jump and elicit a sharp sound of pain.

"Ow!"

"That's what I thought," she said. "I bet you've still got a headache and feelings of dizziness too. No, you're staying in here for at least the next day. And I'm going to recommend light duty for you for at least a couple days after that."

Her suspicions confirmed Chakwas left the quarian's beside and went back to her terminal. Tali looked at him for help. He was actually amazed at how express she could look for someone who's face he had never seen, silver eyes practically pleading. He shrugged.

"Doctor's orders, Tali. Don't worry, you won't miss anything fun. We're making a stop by a deserted outpost as a favor to Jack. Then it'll be back towards Citadel space. Nothing interesting going on at all."

"But I have duties-"

"That Ken and Gabby are quite capable of handling for a day or two," Shepard cut her off before she could begin to protest. He stepped closer, speaking more quietly. "I know you want to get back to work, but just try to take it easy for a few days. Consider it a... favor, to me. You really had me worried there back on the ship."

She replied suddenly after a few moments of silence. "I'm sorry I didn't follow orders. I just realized that you weren't behind us and I went back, I remember the husks coming from everywhere then it all gets... fuzzy."

He shrugged and placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her head to focus on him again. "I should probably reprimand you. But I'd feel hypocritical knowing I wouldn't leave any of you behind either. All I want is the promise that next time I say run, you will."

"I'll do my best," she nodded.

"Guess that will have to do. I... I should probably go check in with Zaeed before we suit up for the mission," Shepard said, realizing that he had been rhythmically massaging her shoulder as he spoke.

"Of course," Tali replied, nodding. "Thank you... for checking on me. And... be careful."

"Always," he grinned.

Leaving her to rest he received an approving nod from Chakwas on his way out of the medbay. In his mind he knew he should have been more harsh for Tali's rash decision to go back for him, but he'd been honest when he said it would have been hypocrisy. He had left a man to die on Virmire, he wouldn't do it again.

Zaeed was in his usual spot, occupying the the starboard cargo hold and using a cargo container as target practice for his throwing knives. The exact purpose of this practice was rather unknown, as the man seemed fully capable of spelling out words with disturbing precision if there were enough knives handy. At present the mercenary had actually managed a fairly good representation of the Cerberus logo with the knives he had handy.

"Killed so many damn Cerberus agents I lost count. Seems the Illusive Man is more forgiving than I would have though," he said by way of greeting.

Shepard chuckled. "Apparently so considering he brought me back from the dead and I racked up quite a few myself. Just don't kill of the ones on this ship and we'll be fine. Kelly said you needed to see me?"

"You remember that little job I mentioned back when we ran into each other on Omega? Well, I finally got the info I need to get it done," Zaeed said, walking over to the terminal he'd set up and taping a few keys. A man a few years Zaeed's junior appeared on the screen wearing the blue and white armor of a Blue Suns mercenary.

"Who's this?"

"Vido Santiago, my former partner and leader of the Blue Suns. Son of a bitch betrayed me and took over twenty goddamn years ago," the man said.

"Wait, took over? You ran the Blue Suns and I never heard anything about it?" Shepard asked.

"Ran? Ha! Me and Vido founded the Blue Suns together. I ran the ops he managed the books and found us work. But we had a falling out, he started hiring batarians. Cheap guns, he said. Goddamn blinks were terrorists I said," Zaeed explained, spitting at the end of his sentence.

The mercenary continued, pacing with agitation. "I never saw it coming, he'd turned some of the men against me. Four of them held me down and he put a gun to my head and pulled the trigger. Then erased me from every record he could find, worthless little shit."

Shepard blinked. The artificial eye was suddenly much more noticeable to him. "You survived being shot in the head?"

His lips curled in a dark smirk. "Rage is a hell of an anesthetic. Got enough hate pumping through you, giving you a purpose, and you can live through just about anything. Hell, you got spaced."

"Thanks for reminding me," he said. "Interesting history lesson, but I'm guessing you didn't just want to dispense wisdom."

"Damn right. I've spent the last twenty years of my life hunting that bastard down, building my resources, contacts, reputation. He's always been a sly one. But since I've been tagging along with you I guess he thought I finally up and died, because he finally popped his goddamn head up. I intend to cut it right off."

"Okay, I told you we'd get this done and it sounds like he has it coming. What's the catch?" he asked, leaning against the desk.

"The catch is he's making an appearance at a right proper gathering of the top scum suckers in Council space on the planet Bekenstein. One of the biggest gun runners and shadowmen in the business is holding a party for the 'right people' at his estate there," the mercenary said. "Seems Vido is on the invite list. Funny that."

"Something tells me security is going to be a little tight."

Zaeed nodded, bringing up a schematic of the man's estate. It was enormous, spanning multiple stories and with a main hall the size of the Normandy's cargo bay. It overlooked a stunning view of the planet on three sides, sheer cliffs below, with only a single lined pathway below leading into the city proper providing access to anything that didn't fly. Buildings around the perimeter were clearly guard houses and subsurface scans indicated that there were more extensive facilities beneath the home.

"Holy hell, Zaeed. This isn't a house, it's a military base with nicer paint," Shepard whistled.

"This little get together is about a week from now, so we've got time to come up with a plan. I've finally got a chance after all these years, can't waste it."

After spending a few more minutes examining the information, Shepard nodded. "Okay. But we do this right. Agreement or no agreement, I'm not getting my people slaughtered to get your revenge."

The mercenary grunted in acknowledgement, going back to studying the diagram himself. It was actually rather impressive the amount of details he already had about the facility. Apparently all those years spent amassing contacts had paid off, giving him intel that had to be nothing short of life threatening to obtain.

He tapped his omni-tool as he left the cargo bay, summoning up the personal comms. "Garrus?"

"The one and only," came the response.

"Suit up, you're going with me down to Pragia. Shouldn't be anything there, but between you and me I'm not sure I want to be tromping around alone with Jack. I'm brave, not stupid."

"Well, we've got a pool going on that last one, but don't worry I'll protect you from the scary naked girl, Boss," Garrus replied mirthfully.

"Yea yea, cargo hold in twenty. Full combat gear."

Shepard shook his head, smiling as he punched the button on the lift for the first deck. He definitely didn't have to worry about his ego getting the better of him with Garrus around. The first few times some of the crew had heard Garrus talk back to him they'd looked shocked, now it was just business as usual. Anyone else would probably find themselves cleaning some unpleasant part of the ship, but the relationship between the two of them had become a bond that no longer recognized minor details like rank and authority. See enough blood at someone's side and the trivial things started to matter less.

In his quarters it was the now familiar ritual. Under armor, chest plate, leg armor, shoulder armor, boots, and finally gauntlets, all snapping into place with practiced ease. The helmet had made its way back to him, but it still wasn't functional after the incident on the collector vessel. Still, this was a milk run, he shouldn't need it. Instead he opened his locker and put on a mono-visor, much like the one Garrus wore.

Stopping by the armory he sat the dead helmet on the workbench next to Jacob.

"Think you can figure out what's wrong with this thing, Jacob? No power at all, might as well be a fancy paperweight," he asked.

The soldier picked up the item, looking it over before giving a shrug. "Honestly? I have no idea, Commander. That suit is a rather unique piece of tech. But I'll see what I can do."

"That's all I can ask," Shepard said. He walked over to the weapon lockers and pulled out a pair of predator heavy pistols, forgoing the usual submachine gun. As heavy as it was he couldn't bring himself to leave the massive Widowmaker rifle, sliding it onto the magnetic catch at his back. Just in case.

"Oh, and since you're here... your two presents are sitting over there. Want some help taking them down?" Jacob asked, nodding towards the two suitcase looking metal boxes sitting on the nearby table.

"I can get it. Detonator?"

Jacob tossed him a small cylinder detonator that he caught, double checking that it wasn't armed, and then stuck into one of the secure pouches at his belt. He hefted the pair of explosives and headed towards the door.

"Lot of boom for an empty base, Commander."

"I figure this kind of place needs to cease to exist. Dad always told me if you were going to do something, don't half-ass it."

Jacob chuckled. "No danger of that. Detonator has a five click range, definitely want to be using that range before you set those babies off. Good luck."

"Will do."

He got some odd looks as he walked out of the armory, explosives clutched in each hand. Kelly's eyebrows shot up as he stepped into the elevator. Shepard smirked as the doors begin to close.

"Note for my file, Kelly: always interested in liberal use of explosives."

Another brief wait and the doors opened once more on the cargo hold. Jack was already leaning against the shuttle, Garrus perched on a crate nearby, the turian hopping down as he approached. He seemed ready to deliver another snarky comment when Shepard thrust one of the explosive cases into his arm

"And now you know why I actually brought you. You aliens and your conveniently dense muscles," Shepard said.

Garrus grunted, shifting to get a better grip on the heavy package. "You're in a good mood."

"Guess blowing stuff up will do that to me. It's simple. No ambiguity," he replied.

"Huh. Every time I wanna right you off as a do-good pussy you say something that makes me like you a little, Shepard," Jack commented with a snort, climbing into the shuttle.

"I have my moments. Garrus, drop your onerous burden and get us planet-side."

The turian sat the explosive carefully on the seat and strapped it in before clambering into the cockpit and firing up the Kodiak's engines. Soon they were drifting out of the Normandy's hold, a dark green planet wreathed in storm clouds growing large beneath them. Jack's fingers drummed on the seat, rapid and agitated, as she looked out the window. Soon the were beneath the clouds, skimming over the thick forests towards the lone speck of gray in view that could only be the facility.

"So damn weird, coming back here."

"This is an uninhabited planet. We can just crater this place from orbit if you don't want to do this," Shepard suggested.

"Hell with that. I want to burn this place myself. I'll be fine, let's just get on the ground," Jack replied.

Garrus landed the shuttle on the only available pad. Clearly at one time the facility had been more expansive, but the forest had engulfed most of the perimeter already, choking it in thick vines and sprouting plants. Stepping out of the shuttle was like like being hit in the face with a damp towel, even as fat droplets of rain water spattered around them lazily. He got the feeling that the gray ceiling of cloud cover was a regular feature.

"Crap. Am I supposed to be breathing this or drinking it?" Garrus complained, eyeing the sky and getting heavy drop of rain right between his eyes for his trouble. Standing in the threshold of the shuttle's door, Jack's eyes seem to scan the entire panorama.

"Little of both, I think. Jack, you want to lead the way?"

"Yea, just getting my bearings. Don't get your panties in a bunch," she snapped. The former convict jumped down and pushed past them both, turning to her left and jogging down a set of stairs. Garrus arched a brow but Shepard gave him a look and shook his head.

Reaching a door he was surprised to see Jack touch the control and have it flicker to life. The door didn't open with the usual smoothness that one expected out of modern technology, but it did open. Apparently Jack wasn't expecting it to work either.

"Huh. Figured I'd have to be yanking doors open with my biotics. I guess Cerberus builds stuff to last."

"Gift horses and all that," Shepard commented. His turian companion gave him a confused look. He merely shook his head again. "Later."

They moved deeper into the facility. Farther in there were still signs of the encroaching forest, ferns sprouting through cracks and vines weaving their way through air ducks. There were also signs of combat long past. Dark stains where blood had seeped into stone or plastic, cracks in the thick windows, gouges from high velocity rounds peppering the walls. One of the rooms they entered looked like it had been a security checkpoint. Large hexagonal boxes with doors on the front sat stacked to one side.

"They brought the other kids in these. Not fancy, but kept them alive. Usually," Jack said, looking at the portable cells. They were nearly identical to the ones that had been on the Purgatory.

"Looks like some of the consoles even still have some juice," Garrus said. He poked at the security station. A holo-log, static filled and choppy appeared.

"Hope we get results soon. Ill - man is asking for more regu- status reports. Think - is getting suspicious. We - don't - something to show soon, it's going - mess."

"Huh," the turian said as the hologram faded. "It looks like he might actually have been unaware. Go figure."

Jack scowled. "Doesn't mean anything. This was a Cerberus facility. That old bastard had his hands in everything, he had to know what was going on here."

"Come on, maybe we can find more farther in," he prompted.

The place was like some sort of vid director's idea of a medical horror. Rooms that contained dozens of beds, a morgue, isolation chambers, other labs that were centered around chairs adorned with heavy straps that were slowly deteriorating in the humid air. Mostly it was just empty rooms, though they did come across some large natural predator. It was a sleek thing with six legs that ended in heavy claws. It moved fast. Just not fast enough to avoid a mass accelerator round that dropped it to the floor mid-charge.

After awhile they did manage to find another console that still had power. Another log appeared after some simple hacking on Garrus' part. This time it was a man in full combat armor, his voice strained and clearly panicked.

"Riot has - security compromised. Test sub- loose. Now , Subject Zero - escaped confinement. Request - to terminate. Repeat, request permission to terminate."

Another voice replied. "Negative. Subject Zero - preserved. All - subjects are - but Subject Zero must be subdued - permanent damage."

This recording ended as abruptly as the first. He could see Jack staring at the fading lights on the console, shaking her head. "This isn't right. I busted out of here, killed the guards..."

"There was a lot going on you might not have seen things behind the scenes."

"The guards tried to kill me. The other kids tried to kill me. Even the automated defenses tried to kill me. No misunderstanding there," Jack shot back.

He didn't respond, motioning for them to continue. Moving lower into the facility he held up a hand to stop them. Another of the native predators was at the base of the stairs. But it was already dead, a series of precise holes riddling its bulky form.

"That's a fresh kill," Jack said. "What the fuck. This place has been abandoned for years. Nobody else is supposed to be here."

"Eyes open, people. Scavengers or pirates most likely," Shepard said, drawing the pistol at his hip and seeing Garrus do the same. Unfortunately as long as they carried the heavy explosives their heavier rifles were out of the question. He tapped his omni-tool and opened a line to the Normandy.

"Joker, do you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Commander. How's the field trip?"

"Possibly getting more interesting. Tell Miranda to sound general quarters and keep your eyes open. We might have pirates hanging around," he ordered.

"Understood. And if anyone tries to make friends?"

"I'm not playing nice out here. You show'em exactly what molten tungsten looks like at relativistic speeds, preferably through their bridge."

"Something tells me Miranda won't argue with that one. On it, Commander."

"Let's move out," he told the other two. Moving more cautiously now they checked rooms for any signs of occupation, but aside from a few more dead native beasts there was no indication of whomever else had been in the facility. Then they entered an area that looked almost like a garden or sitting room, a large mirrored window looking out over it.

"It was a mirror," he heard Jack whisper. "So many days beating on that thing, trying to get someone just to look at me."

"Contact!" Garrus suddenly barked. A pair of vorcha with battered looking rifles came around a corner, make an animalistic squeal, and began firing wildly. Half a dozen more quickly followed, but it wasn't even a fight. The first two fell to pistol shots before their shots even hit shields, while the reinforcements found Jack in their midst, a glowing blue fury.

"Blood pack," Jack said, lifting up a crude piece of red armor one of the vorcha had been wearing. "Let's go, my room is just around the corner. I want to know what the hell is going on here."

They followed the woman, his body never quite losing the shimmer of biotic energy. Her steps were fast and she wasn't bothering to look around, just marching into the room beyond. Shouts immediately followed, causing he and Garrus to look at each other and drop their explosives against the wall.

Rifles in hand they both entered side by side. A krogan roared, flying across the room to slam into a wall. The alien's massive form struggling to get up from an impact that would have killed any human. Garrus' rifle opened up, firing two quick bursts into the mercenary to make sure he didn't rise again.

Another krogan stood in the middle of the room, lashing out with biotics of his own to clash with Jack. He growled deep and ferally.

"Animal hunting my ass, this is going to cost you more credits!" the merc growled, clearing talking to someone over the comm. "But at least it's a fight!"

Shepard grimaced and fired his heavy rifle, a vorcha simply ceasing to exist from the shoulders up as the round hit it. "If I'd know this I'd have brought Grunt. Garrus, cover the left and keep their heads down. I've got right. Big and krogany is Jack's."

For the space of a minute the room was lit by an alternating pattern of lighting from the outside and muzzle flashes. The Blood Pack vorcha quickly fell to their guns while the only other krogan besides the leader quickly discovered that even his thick hide and thicker armor wasn't a match for the hammer blow of the Widowmaker.

The duel between the two biotics ended almost as abruptly. Jack gave a howl of rage, leaping into the air and bringing her fist straight down on the krogan's head, practically ablaze in biotic energy. The resulting impact made the room shake and the enemy mercenary to fall to the ground, blood oozing from his armor as the light went out in his eyes.

Jack was standing over the body, panting heavily. She turned and fixed her gaze on her old room, moving towards it purposefully. Shepard stowed his rifle and motioned Garrus towards the explosives, following after Jack.

Her room was more spacious than he expected, but spartan. A single desk, a bed, and an overturned table all coated in a fine layer of dust and grime. And there, in the middle of the room, hovered a man held in place by Jack's biotics.

"Who the fuck are you?" she demanded.

The man smiled seemingly unafraid. "Ah, Zero... should have known you'd come back. Your place, after all... your place."

"Jack, take it easy. Let's find out what he wants..."

She tossed him a glare that could have melted hull plating before turning her attention back to the man. "How do you know me?"

"Know you? We all knew you. Hated you," the man said. "They experimented on us so that they wouldn't risk hurting you, their perfect subject."

"You were one of the prisoners here?" Shepard interjected.

"Not possible, I was the only one that made it out. How did you survive?"

"Got knocked out when you broke loose. When I woke up... guards were dead, everyone else was dead. Didn't take long for scavengers to come looking, so I managed to get them to take me with them."

Shepard looked around him, then back to Jack. "It looks like you weren't the only one that was drawn here."

The man in Jack's grip nodded, his eyes holding a feverish gleam. "It's perfect. All the things they did here, so horrible. But they must have had a reason. Now that you're here it's perfect. I'm going to restart the Teltin facility. We'll make it all mean something."

"What?"

Jack's voice was almost a scream and he could see the man's body tight in pain as her biotic field tightened in response to her anger. There was a brief moment when he thought she would simply crush him before there was even a chance to react. But she didn't. Instead she let go, the man falling to his hands and knees.

"You're insane," Jack said, drawing her pistol. He realized that the gun was shaking ever so slightly. "I... everything that happened here, and you want to do it again? To fuck up someone else's life?"

The former prisoner looked up, nodding. "If we... if we accomplish their goal then it all meant something. All the pain, they wouldn't have done those things without good reasons!"

"They did it to see if they fucking could! So they could have a new weapon," she hissed. "So what if it cost lives... pain. You think I'm going to let you do it again?"

He could see her finger tighten on the trigger, barely moving in time to grip her wrist tightly. The eyes that looked at him were filled with a strange mixture of rage, familiar, and sadness, something he hadn't seen before.

"Don't... you said surviving this made you strong? Then be strong. Kill because its necessary, not because you need it," Shepard said quietly. "Show them that they didn't break you."

For a brief second he saw indecision flash through her eyes and he braced himself to be thrown across the room. But then he felt the strain leave her arm and she raised the pistol and stepped away, going to the two way mirror that had been her window for some long, leaning her head against it.

"Fuck!"

Shepard looked down at the man and gave the door a significant glance. "You'd best start running. I didn't want her executing you, but if you think you're coming on my ship you've got another thing coming. Go quick enough and you'll make it to wherever the mercs stashed their shuttle before we blow this place to hell."

The man stared at him for a moment before scrambling from the room, almost running into Garrus he was laboring with the two explosive devices. This time the turian didn't even ask, sitting the explosives down in the middle of the room.

"Just... give me a minute," Jack said quietly. "Fuck I hate this place. First I feel like a super bitch... and then I'm a scared little girl again. In this room, crying under that same desk because it was my only friend in the world."

"Take all the time you need," Shepard said and lead Garrus outside.

A few minutes later Jack emerged and they made their way out of the facility, Garrus once more piloting the Kodiak. Jack looked out the window as they lifted off, the shuttle turning and heading away from the facility before beginning its ascent towards the Normandy.

He reached into the pouch at his belt and produced the detonator. A few simple taps and the indicator on the side flashed red. Armed. Silently he leaned across the space between them and pressed the small cylinder into Jack's hand. She toyed with the safety cap, flicking it opened and closed, the sound filling the cabin. Finally she looked up and met his eyes.

Shepard slammed his fist against the bulkhead three times. The Kodiak surged faintly underfoot.

"Time to let them go," he said.

Jack nodded and depressed the button. Behind them fire engulfed the Teltin facility and the surrounding forest, once and for all scouring the blight from the face of the planet. In time the forest would cover the scorched earth. The last remnants of the madness of the cursed place gone forever.

* * *

Not longer after they were back on the Normandy. Jack had remained silent for the rest of the trip, still toying with the new inactive detonator. She even stayed silent through out the airlock cycle and all the way to the elevator. When it stopped and she stepped out at engineering she finally spoke.

"Guess there are people that do favors without wanting anything in return," she said, then glanced between Garrus and himself. "But you tell anyone what I said here or down there and I'll fucking kill you."

"Wouldn't have it any other way, Jack."

"Yea, thanks, ah, Commander."

The door slid shut and the elevator continued its ascent. Garrus glanced over, giving him an exasperated look. Finally the turian hit the emergency stop on the elevator and fixed him with a look.

"Seriously. How the hell do you do that? Is there a human school for taming damage psychopaths?"

Shepard could only laugh.

"And what the hell is this about horse gifts? What's a horse and why would you give it to someone?"

His only response was to double over, hands on his knees as his body shook in poorly contained amusement. Even if you couldn't find all the answers, sometimes all you needed was that one moment to make it through the day.


	16. Chapter 15

Leaving the now truly empty planet of Pragia behind, the Normandy's mass effect core engaged, hurtling the sleek vessel towards the mass relay. Nothing world changing had happened, no great tragedy averted or innocents saved, but it still felt like a victory to Shepard.

Not long after he'd stepped out of the shower, his armor already cleaned and stowed, someone rapped on the metal door to his quarters. Pulling on a shirt first he spoke.

"Enter."

Metal slid aside to reveal Kasumi. "Good evening, Commander. See, I even knocked."

"The gesture is appreciated. And likely for the best considering I just got out of the shower," he replied. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, you were supposed to come talk to me after the mission," the thief accused him, walking over to perch on the edge of his couch.

Shepard grimaced. "Damn, sorry. It completely slipped my mind."

"Don't worry, I'm sure you had other ladies occupying your thoughts," Kasumi said with a sly grin.

He arched an eyebrow at the woman but she hopped down from her perch and continued to speak before he could form a response. The young thief's voice took on a more serious tone as she paced slowly in front of the large fish tank.

"So I know Zaeed had a little chat with you about his little oath of blood vengeance against this Vido guy. Don't give me that look, Zaeed might be good at shooting people but he's crap at computer security. The reason I wanted to talk to you is I have my own... mission that I need to complete."

"You mentioned that when you joined up. I have no problem helping you, but I already promised Zaeed we'd do our best to nail Vido at this party or whatever it is," Shepard said.

"How about two birds with one stone?"

Shepard moved to take a seat at one end of the couch, leaning back at looking expectant. "Okay, you're going to have to elaborate. Despite whatever you might think Cerberus didn't install any mind-reading powers when they put me back together."

"That much is obvious," Kasumi muttered with a barely audible laugh.

"What was that?"

The thief shook her head. "Nothing, nothing. So... story time."

Kasumi took a seat, looking at her hands for a moment and taking a deep breath. He realized this was the first time he'd seen her as anything more than chipper and witty, completely in control. She was nervous.

"Some time ago there was a young thief that was hired to steal a painting. But when she broke in to steal it, she found someone had beaten her to the punch and leaving a single rose in its place. Of course this thief wasn't one to be bested so she tracked down her rival after weeks of cat and mouse."

"His name was Kenji. And the painting is the one hanging across from the bed in the observation lounge where I sleep," she continued, still not looking at anything in particular. "He was good, Shepard. I might have been a little quicker but no one could hack a security system or confuse an alarm system like him. Watching him work was pure artistry. We decided to work together."

"Kept the painting, huh?"

The thief smiled and nodded. "It became our... thing. We'd take jobs, but he'd also nab something else small to give to me when it was over. Usually books, after he discovered my love for them. Those were... it was a good time."

"I sense I'm not going to like where this is going," he said.

"Indeed. We never really did what we did for the money, it was for the thrill of it... but living that life isn't cheap and a job came along. It was big. I said we couldn't afford to turn something like that down, Kenji finally agreed," she said. Her voice grew quiet, only the relative silence of his cabin allowing him to hear her.

"He cracked the mainframe himself... we were supposed to meet at a cafe a few blocks away, disappear on the next flight out. He didn't show. Instead I got a message. Whatever Kenji found wasn't just classified data. It was massive, something he said could destroy the Alliance if it ever got out. He told me that people would come looking for it and that I wasn't safe if I was with him... that he'd run, make them chase him."

"Apparently he wasn't quite good enough. They caught up to him on some world in the Terminus systems. They killed him, took his graybox. By the time I got there he was just a blank headstone in a tiny cemetery."

Shepard sat in silence for a few moments, processing what she'd told him. He'd heard of grayboxes before, advanced and highly restricted technology that could literally record a human mind. It was rumored that the Alliance had top covert agents that used them, their brains becoming receptacles for the most secret information or acting as the ultimate masters of reconnaissance.

"You found who has Kenji's graybox," he finally said. Kasumi hadn't clearly stated her relationship with this Kenji, but it didn't take a psychologist like Kelly Chambers to figure it out. He had been right, he hadn't liked where it had gone.

She nodded. "His name is Donovan Hock. He's the most well connected arms dealer operating in Citadel space or even the Terminus systems. And he's the host of the party that Zaeed's former partner is going to be attending."

"And you want to get it back when we take Vido down?"

"I do. Hock is a collector of all things rare and valuable, he can't be allowed to have whatever information Kenji found. It should be safe, Kenji said that he encrypted it with his own memories, that only I would be able to open it... but I can't be sure," Kasumi said. "And that graybox... it's all that's left of Kenji, all his thoughts and memories."

Shepard stood and walked over to where the young thief sat, speaking softly. "You don't have to say anything else. I'll make sure we get it back."

"If only it was that easy," Kasumi said and laughed. "I appreciate the sentiment, though. Hock has gotten to where he has by being smart, ruthless, and paranoid. I'm sure has a concealed vault for his 'treasures', and if you and Zaeed go in guns blazing he could lock the entire place down."

"So what do you propose?"

"Oh, I have a plan. I always have a plan," the thief grinned.

* * *

It had been a week since the incident on the collector vessel and Tali was feeling vastly better. Chakwas had seemed to have been more worried that necessary about her head injury and kept asking if she was missing any periods of time in her memory, but apparently had finally accepted that she was fine. Even the soreness in her thigh where she'd fallen had mostly disappeared.

Kasumi had done a great deal to keep her company in the two days Chakwas had kept her confined to the medbay. It was odd, really, having someone that she considered a friend that wasn't either a quarian or involved in excessive amounts of violence as a career. Garrus and Shepard were probably closer to her than most any quarian on the fleet these days, but their areas of expertise were a little more limited than they might have admitted.

She had become much more friendly with many of the human crew, but it was still a working relationship at best. The only humans on the Normandy that she fully trusted other than Shepard were Joker and Chakwas. And now Kasumi.

As if summoned, the young thief appeared and hopped up on the railing next to her terminal.

"Heya, girl."

"Hi. What are you doing down here? I thought you were supposed to be going planetside with Shepard on that mission we non-soldiers are not allowed to go on?" Tali asked, trying not to sound bitter. She kept wondering if Shepard didn't trust her after the incident on the collector vessel.

Kasumi apparently wasn't fooled. "Aw, c'mon. Not like it's just you. The only one's he's taking down are Grunt, Zaeed, and Big G. And me, of course, but I kind of have to go. He wants his big tough meaty types down there so that if things go bad... well, then nobody that doesn't wear fifty kilos of armor is put in harms way."

"But you said he couldn't wear his armor because it was some sort of party," she pointed out.

"Yea, but we're going to smuggle his stuff in."

"In that hideous statue. Where he can't get to it."

"Yes, in that hideous statue. Hock is rich, doesn't mean he has taste. And don't worry, it'll be fine. Besides, that's the reason I came down here to start with," Kasumi smirked. "Had to show him off."

"What?" Tali said, confused.

Behind her the door to engineering opened. She turned and almost did a double take, realizing that the small sound of surprise she heard had come from her own voice modulator. Shepard walked in, not in combat armor or even the more casual loose shirt and pants she saw him in on board the ship, but in something else entirely. He looked almost like a different man.

His 'five o'clock shadow' as the humans called their rough growths of facial hair had been mostly shaved, leaving only a neat line of dark stubble running along his jawline to his chin. The clothes were what stood out the most, a jet black suit like she had occasionally seen wealthy human merchants wear but with a sharper more military cut. It was double breasted, edged in vivid white, and seemed to fit him perfectly, from the sleeves to the way it sat on his shoulders. It somehow made him look as large and broad of stature as his armor did.

"See? He cleans up nice if you make him," Kasumi said in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Kasumi, this thing is tailored. How did you get a tailored suit?" Shepard asked, coming to a stop in front of the two women.

"Sized you up the moment we met, made some arrangements," the thief replied.

He shook his head and turned his attention to Tali. "How are you feeling?"

"What? Oh! Fine, of course. You and Chakwas worry too much," she answered quickly after a brief pause. Beneath her visor she felt heat rise to her face, realizing that she had been staring. Shepard just looked so very different. Even with the scars that still traced his face she thought that he looked striking.

"We worry because we care. Glad to see you're better, though. I promise I'll have you back in action soon," he said with a smile.

Tali felt her fingers involuntarily meet, twisting faintly at his words, before she forced them apart. He cared about all his crew. She had told herself she wouldn't let her personal feelings get in the way, and she would be damned if she couldn't keep a promise to herself.

"Thanks, I just feel useless sitting around. The Normandy is running perfectly at this point," she replied.

"As if you'd let her do anything but," Kasumi added, hopping down and walking over to the commander, tugging at his collar to straighten it. "Well, you look the part, Mr. Solomon Gunn. What do you think, Tali?"

"Very professional. I don't think I've ever seen you like... ah this," Tali said. "You look... good."

The quarian sighed to herself, tripping over her own words in a way that frustrated her to no end. It was the truth, though. Humans didn't actually know it, but they didn't look so different from quarians, and with his clean, professional grab Shepard did look... very good. And with the damage to the Citadel there had been no truly large formal ceremony after Saren's defeat, only a few minor celebrations that hadn't even caused Shepard to put on his Alliance dress uniform.

Shepard smiled, running fingers around the collar of the jacket. "Thanks. Never was fond of formal wear, but it's at least more comfortable than dress blues. And I got to keep my gun."

He did indeed have a holster on his hip, a matte black pistol resting easily there in a way that didn't even mar the crisp look of the suit. Kasumi laughed.

"Figured it would make you feel better, and we have to keep up apperances. You're a ruthless mercenary company captain now. How would it looked if you showed up unarmed?"

"Well now, I did nay realize we were work'n for such an upstand'n individual," Donnelly interjected as he emerged from the drive core.

As always Gabby followed soon after and delivered an elbow to the other engineer's ribs.

"I think he looks handsome. It's a very nice suit, Commander."

Shepard gave the thief at his side an exasperated look. "This is why you were hiding down here, wasn't it? For the commentary?"

"Pretty much," Kasumi confirmed. "Time to get to work, we've got a heist to pull!"

"Wait, you're stealing things now?" Tali asked.

Shepard could only shrug as he was pulled from engineering by the young woman, towards the cargo bay and the waiting shuttle. Tali assumed there was a good reason, otherwise Kasumi wouldn't have had him involved, but she really couldn't picture Shepard as a master thief. Just the thought of him dressed like one of the burglars from those vids they occasionally got on the Flotilla made her giggle faintly as she turned back to her console.

She hoped he did keep the suit though.

* * *

"Your armor looks... weak, Commander," Grunt commented, looking him up and down suspiciously.

Shepard chuckled. "Think of it as camouflage rather than armor. Are we all clear on the plan?"

"You schmooze around the fancy party, we get to stand next to the shuttle looking mean," Garrus supplied.

"And once you get the girl's trinket, you lure Vido out to the balcony and I put a bullet in his sorry ass," Zaeed finished.

"That's pretty much the gist of it. Get in, get the item, take out Vido, and then burn out as fast as possible."

"Been waiting for this day for twenty goddamn years," the mercenary said, patting the rifle across his knees.

"Don't let your revenge make you do something stupid, Zaeed. Keep the helmet on so no one recognizes you and don't open fire until I give you the signal. Until I'm back in radio contact Garrus is in charge. Understood?"

Grunt nodded in agreement and Garrus did the same. Zaeed scowled, but finally followed suit. He just hoped the man would keep his head. Thus far he'd been utterly focused on whatever mission was at hand, but this bloodlust he had to take down his former partner was clearly influencing him.

"As long as we get the graybox first, I'm fine with it," Kasumi spoke up. "I don't know this Vido, but if Hock invited him then he must have it coming. You have to be top class dirt to get this guy's attention."

The rest of the shuttle ride passed in silence. What passed for a plan was more of a vague outline if he was honest. This sort of thing was far out of his element. His stealth training involved sniping positions and enemy sentries, not hiding in plain sight in a crowd. Add to the fact that even with Zaeed's intel they only had the vaguest idea of Hock's security measures or even the location of his vault and they were effectively completely winging it once he stepped inside. Kasumi would remain invisible and out of sight, providing help through a tight band transmitter in his ear. Everything else was on him.

Hock's estate came into view before long, just as expansive as the diagrams had promised. It was a sprawling affair that looked almost like windowed sandstone cubes, smaller ones stacked atop larger ones, with one floor sometimes sticking out past the wall of the floor above or below. Large open courtyards were seen between the gaps in the building, a few people apparently mingling in the fading sunlight that washed the white stone of the building in an orange glow. Some might have called the architecture 'modern'. Shepard mostly just thought it was ugly.

The shuttle finally came to rest and he felt the engines die. Kasumi gave him a light tap on the arm as she disappeared from view.

"Remember, you're Solomon Gunn. Ruthless mercenary captain from the Terminus systems. You've got a company of stone killers that work for anyone for the right credits. We need him to take that statue in without getting too detailed looking at it, so think angry and impatient."

"Don't worry. Alliance didn't offer acting lessons, but snipers do need a good memory," Shepard muttered and stepped out of the shuttle. He needed to think angry and impatient, did he look like a vid star? He tightened the muscles of his face into a scowl and tried to think of something that pissed him off.

He thought of Williams on Horizon, then let his mind drift back farther, that batarian pirate back before they'd defeated Saren. His mind snapped forward again to days ago, a husk's clawed fingers reaching. Then he glanced at the statue they had brought as a 'gift' for their host.

"Get that god damn thing off the shuttle now you over-paid bastards!" he barked suddenly, gesturing at the large statue. The team looked at him but moved to do as ordered, going along with it. Thankfully they were all helmeted so there were no looks to give them away. Maybe slightly less angry would be advisable.

"You must be Mr. Gunn," a voice said as he turned. There was a definite accent there that he was unfamiliar with, clipped and cultured. "Welcome to my home."

He turned and sized up the man. Average size and weight, dark hair. Donovan Hock could have been another dock worker or vid salesman. Instead he was a ruthless criminal. As the old saying went, appearances could be deceiving.

"Ah, Mr. Hock," he said, grimacing but calming his tone slightly. "My idiot men were slow getting the shuttle ready and now they're wasting my time not unloading things properly. I understand that you're a collector and I had an interesting piece I thought you might appreciate."

Grunt had pushed the statue onto a cart and managed to drag it over to where the other two men stood. The statue was a statue of none other than Saren himself, worked in solid bronze and standing larger than life. Where Kasumi had acquired it he didn't want to know.

"An infamous figure in recent history and the man who led the attack on the Citadel himself," Shepard said, trying to keep the contempt from his voice. "He might have died, but he was still to spit in the Council's eye to do it."

"Ha!" Hock laughed. "Yes, I much more respect a living man than a dead, but I must say it is quite the piece. And it was nice to see the Council get a taste of the real world. Do come inside, Mr. Gunn. I think you'll enjoy the party."

"Oh, I think I will too," Shepard smirked.

The arms dealer glanced at the men he'd brought with him. "I'll have my men take your gift inside. I'm afraid that your... men are a little under dressed and over armed for polite company, however."

He gestured dismissively. "Screw'em. They can wait with the shuttle. People need to learn their place when they're being paid to do something."

"Indeed," Hock said.

The walked inside, Shepard getting a good look at the black armored guards that stood around the perimeter. They might not be professional soldiers but from the way their hands rested easily on the assault rifles at their sides it was clear these men weren't the kind that would shy away from violence.

Once inside he couldn't help but marvel at the sheer extravagance of the Donovan Hock's home. There was a full sized fountain in the middle of his ballroom and the floors were all covered in solid squares of marble. Everywhere real furniture and plush appointments could be seen. The cost to ship in the marble from Earth must have cost as much as an assault shuttle alone.

Kasumi's voice crackled in his ear. "Okay, Shepard, I'm in and I followed our little gift. He doesn't even bother to hide the damn vault, it's one floor down... the statue is at the door, unfortunately it looks like he's not going to take it in until later."

"Can you get the vault open?" he whispered, turning away and looking pointedly at a painting to conceal the movement of his lips.

"Of course. But I need some time... and I need a pretty extensive voice sample from Hock. He has a voice imprint on this thing."

"Understood."

All around the party he saw a variety of people, mostly human, but a sprinkling of asari and salarians as well. Servants moved through the crowd with trays of drinks that likely cost an corporal's monthly salary per glass. Shepard also noticed the prevalence of what was known among humans as 'arm candy'. Beautiful human and asari women that were clearly not of the same kind as the rest, speaking little and wearing less as they hovered at the sides of certain guests like obedient pets.

Hock introduced him around to a few of the guests, letting him overhear snippets of conversation that shocked him in their boldness. Openly discussing transport of military grade weapons, red sand, and even slaves. Kasumi hadn't been kidding, this really was a rogue's gallery. It was an exercise in self-control not to draw the weapon at his side at some of the things he heard.

"Mr. Gunn, I think this a man you should meet. I suspect you have much in common. Solomon Gunn, this is Mr. Vido Santiago, leader of the Blue Suns," Hock introduced him. The man was exactly as he'd appeared in the image that Zaeed had showed him.

"Ah yes, I remember you saying you had some other mercs coming in," Vido said, shaking Shepard's hand and grinning. "Never heard of you, though, Gunn."

He shrugged and gave a small grunt. "Not surprised, we don't exactly have the Sun's size and resources. But my Devil Dogs get the job done, no matter the target. Like they say, not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog... and the size of the paycheck."

"Good to see we have something in common then," the other man said, raising his glass. "Too many mercenary units out there that feel that they're above some real dirty work."

"Work needs to be done. It takes men like us to do it," Shepard agreed. He looked to Hock and took a glass from a passing tray. "Something I think our generous host understands perfectly well."

Donovan Hock smiled, wide and cruel, and Shepard knew his hunch had been right. He inclined his head to Shepard and moved towards the middle of the room, leaving Vido and Shepard to follow. Reaching the fountain he stepped up onto the smooth ledge and tapped the side of his glass.

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for coming," Hock began. "One of my guests just reminded me of an important point and I felt the need to speak."

The man looked around the room, spreading his arms wide and continuing. "I have invited you all here because I sought the company of like minds. Despite what the galaxy thinks of us, we all know that we are the wheels of commerce and power, not the petty governments and laws they espouse."

"We are the true people that matter! The ones willing to do what others are too afraid to do, too obsessed with their own tiny codes of honor that they are incapable of achieving greatness. So drink and enjoy my home, this night is for us, for the true power behind the thrones! The takers!"

A scattered applause and a few louder cries of support echoed around the chamber as Hock stepped down, giving a faint bow to some of his guests and downing his own drink. Shepard raised his glass, playing along. If he'd realized just what kind of people would be at this party he might have brought more of the same explosives they'd used on Pragia.

"Well, not what I was expecting, but that was great. Hock really likes to hear himself talk," Kasumi said, her voice sounding amused. "I think I'll have this soon. He has one hell of a security system, but of course I'm better."

Hock smiled as he approached. "Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Gunn. We all know the truth, but sometimes it needs to be said. Now please, do enjoy the party. There are many delights to be had, the champagne I had shipped from Earth for just this occasion. If you need anything in particular I had a few dozen extra hands brought in to help, so just ask any of the guards or the servers."

"You definitely know how to throw a party, Donovan," Vido said. The mercenary snagged another drink and then leered at the serving girl as she walked past. "Help looks good enough to eat too."

That same cruel smile was back. "As I said, enjoy the party Vido. Just do try not to damage the merchandise... permanently."

"Oh don't worry, Hock. If I break it, I'll buy it," Vido grinned in return, nodding to them both as he threaded through the crowd like a predatory snake hunting a mouse. He had fully intended to help Zaeed take out this man, even if he felt a little uneasy at what amounted to an assassination, pure and simple. That uneasiness had definitely disappeared.

"The same goes for you, Mr. Gunn. Do enjoy."

Shepard then found himself left alone to mingle. He drifted through the expansive house, focusing on the security to take his mind off the sheer number of people around him that probably deserved a round between the eyes. A number of guards at different doors, but not nearly as many as outside. Security cameras placed to leave no blind spots. The doors were thick as well, in the event of a lock down they'd be just as secure as those aboard the Normandy.

The party presented another major problem. He had expected a number of criminals and paid guards. He hadn't anticipated the number of bystanders that could be caught in a crossfire. A few crime bosses lost in the midst of a battle was an acceptable loss, a girl whose only crime was being bought like a damn commodity by a bunch of sick bastards wasn't.

Kasumi's voice interrupted his thoughts. "Okay, here's the deal, Shep. There's a laser field over this door. To bypass it I'm going to have to hit a main power conduit down the hall here. That's going to put the lights out for a few seconds, which should give you time to get down here without anyone noticing. But we'll have to move fast because I won't take them long to figure out where the shortage came from."

He wandered over to look at another piece of sculpture. Then at least he'd look like a crazy muttering to himself. "Great. Doesn't help that there is a shuttle's worth of innocent people mixed up in this. Okay, give me thirty seconds to move into position and then hit it. Have to trust Garrus to keep things under control until I can get on the radio."

Right on schedule half a minute later there was a faint click and the room fell into darkness, only the last rays of sunset providing any illumination in the room. In one smooth motion he sat on the railing next to the stairs leading to the next floor, swung his legs over, and dropped. Landing on the stairs was awkward, but the one advantage his currently woefully under-armored state provided was relative silence.

He made it down the hall and had just turned the corner when the power kicked back on, finding himself once again looking at the ugly statue. Kasumi materialized next to it and kicked the base, the panel falling open to expose his gear.

"Come on. I can get us in and reactivate the security protocols so it'll take them some time to figure out where the breach was," she urged him.

Gathering up his gear he ducked inside, the vault door shutting behind him. He could hear the hum as the laser grid powered up once more. Kasumi bit her lip, taping furiously at her omni-tool.

"Okay, there. I changed the security password to 'Dagobah' and made it require your voice to open the door. That should keep them busy for awhile. Just give me a minute to get the secondary door open. Get suited up, just in case. We're close"

Shepard arched an eyebrow, unbuttoning the suit jacket and shrugging it off his shoulders. He smiled, trying to lighten the mood. He could see the tension radiating off the young thief. "Sure this wasn't just an elaborate plot to get a free show, Kasumi?"

"Please, Shepard. You don't have anything I haven't seen before," she quipped, then cocked her head. "Though I must say you are rather more... built than my usual type. I wasn't even aware that was a definable muscle. I think you'd have a good career as an underwear model if you ever got tired of the whole Spectre thing."

"Very funny," he grunted. Practice made perfect, he managed to slip out of the finer clothes and strap on his armor in record time, even managing to stuff the suit into the duffle bag Kasumi had stowed his armor in without messing it up too much.

"Okay, why did you bring such a big damn bag? It's not like I'm going to change back into the suit," he asked.

The thief shrugged. "You know, vault of priceless items, little extra space couldn't hurt."

"We are not here to make a heist. One item, in and out."

"No fun at all," Kasumi said, shaking her head.

Shepard laughed and slapped a thermal magazine into the Carnifex heavy pistol that had been stowed with his armor. It wasn't his rifle, but two pistols were still better than one. A few moments later he heard the beep of an security override and the second door slid open to reveal Donovan Hock's vault. He was unable to suppress his surprise.

"Holy shit."

It was a room big enough to land a frigate in, with dozens of large stone tables lined with various artifacts or with sculptures or other items sitting on them. At the end of the room was the massive head of nothing less than the Statue of Liberty.

"How did he ever get that in here?" she asked.

"No idea. Come on, let's find that graybox."

The two of them split up, going from display to display. Priceless treasures from every culture he knew of, and a few he didn't, were kept in glass cases. A vast store of human history, turian art, asari writings... even a krogan sculpture. A pair of small stone tablets caught his eye, smooth gray stone etched with writing he didn't quite recognize but he was sure he'd seen before.

"Find it?" Kasumi asked, appearing next to him.

"Damn you need to stop doing that," he said. "No, not yet. Was just trying to figure out what these were, they look familiar."

"Oooh... that's Khellish. These things must be ancient considering how long the quarians have been space-faring."

"All locked away where nobody but one rich prick can see them," he grimaced. At least now he remembered the script, he had seen Tali write it once back on the old Normandy when he'd asked her what the quarian language looked like. The flowing script reminding him somewhat of Arabic.

"Shepard! Here!"

He jogged over to where Kasumi was standing. A pair of machine-pistols sat on a dais, one of them showing signs of use but meticulous care while the other was clearly a flawless reproduction. Beneath them was a sealed container with an implant inside. Kenji's graybox.

"And here it is, just sitting here under the Kassa Locust, the gun that killed two presidents," the thief said, fingertips lightly brushing the glass. "Huh, and the bastard even has the guns loaded. That's not safe."

"Unsafe?" a voice suddenly boomed. Above the door they'd entered from a large hologram of Donovan Hock's head appeared. "Unsafe is stealing from me, Kasumi Goto. But I know you'd try, even if I wasn't expecting something quite like this. Ah, and Mr. Gunn is assisting you."

"It doesn't matter. I've been trying to unlock that stupid piece of technology for months, Ms. Goto. That idiot Kenji died screaming long before we could get the information we needed out of him. Now that you're here I can finally accomplish that goal. I'm sure it will take some time to break you, but don't worry, under my tender care it will happen sooner rather than later. If you're lucky I'll keep you alive so you can see my rise to power. The information contained on that graybox will give me such power over the Alliance... power like-"

Shepard shook his head. He glanced over to Kasumi, seeing her fists tightened and her eyes flashing at the mention of her dead lover, then casually put his gauntleted fist through the glass surrounding the graybox and the pair of guns. He wrapped his hand around the worn Locust and flicked the safety off.

"What are you doing?" Hock demanded in shock.

"Shutting you up," Shepard replied. He pointed the gun to his right without even looking and squeezed the trigger. Despite the sudden burst of automatic fire he found the weapon to be extremely moderate on the recoil, even as a dozen rounds tore into the statue that had been next to him, disintegrating it in a shower of plaster.

The man's eyes went wide, veins appearing on his forehead as he howled in rage. "Gunn, you son of a bitch! I'll kill you. I'll kill your friends. I'll kill your family! You think you can run? I have people everywhere. When I'm done I'll sell Goto to the batarians and make you watch as I burn your life down around you!"

Shepard's smile was dark and unpleasant as he raised the gun to point at the hologram projector. "The name isn't Gunn, Hock. It's Commander Johnathan Shepard, Spectre. If it doesn't ring a bell don't worry, I'll be coming up to refresh your memory soon."

The gun barked once more, shattering the projector and making Hock's face dissolved into chaos before the projector died completely. Kasumi looked at him and smiled gratefully.

"Thank you. I don't think I wanted to hear his entire speech, the bastard," she said.

"Grab that other gun. New plan. I just spent the last hour having to shake hands with people that make my skin crawl. I think the least we can do is make sure Hock never hurts anyone else," Shepard said, popping the spent thermal out the Locust and slotting in a fresh one. He then brought up his omni-tool and opened up a channel to Garrus.

"Garrus, look lively. Things just got interesting. Secure the shuttle and the LZ. The estate is full of civilians so choose your targets carefully. I'm heading back upstairs to take out Hock, Kasumi is coming to you with the package."

"Copy that, Boss, we noticed when all the angry looking guys started pointing guns at us. Don't worry about the shuttle. These guys won't get near it," Garrus replied.

Zaeed's voice broken in. "Where the hell is Vido, Shepard?"

"I don't know, he was at the party but I don't exactly have eyes on him at the moment. This is a much bigger furball than I thought. Hold the LZ, so long as he's stuck in this house he can't escape."

Apparently they had finally managed to bypass Kasumi's overrides as the door at the other end of the room opened and half a dozen of Hock's security poured into the room. The thief immediately faded from sight as Shepard opened up, catching the first two before they could even make it to cover. The fact that they hadn't immediately returned fire made him smile. Hock had told them not to damage his precious artifacts.

He stood and drew his pistol in his left, striding boldly towards the remaining mercs. They fired but only sporadically, the rounds striking him but being absorbed by his shields even as he poured fire into their position. A few seconds later Kasumi appeared once more, now behind the cover the men hid behind. The other Locust spat fire, the remaining guards not even having a chance to return fire.

"I have to say, I like this gun," Shepard commented.

"Nothing like wielding a piece of history as an instrument of righteous justice, huh?"

"Something like that."

Kasumi checked the door and shut it once more. "Okay, are you seriously going to go up there after Hock? If so I can drop down the service access over here and climb up the back to the shuttle, but that leaves you alone."

"I'll be fine. Garrus and the others will draw most of their attention. Just get out of here with that graybox," Shepard said. Then he paused, glancing over his shoulder. They had already abandoned the original in and out plan, not to mention he was using a piece stolen from Hock as it was. He walked over to the dais where the two stone tablets sat and smashed the glass.

"Here. You said we have space, well use these to fill some of it," he told Kasumi.

"Picking up presents now?" she asked, unzipping the bag and stuffing the tablets carefully inside. Shepard was already moving towards the doors.

"If anyone deserves to get a piece of their history back, it's the quarians. Tali has been with me since the beginning, the least I can do is give her something else to... to take back to the Fleet when this is all over."

Kasumi smiled and nodded. "I'll get it back safe and sound. And... Shepard?"

He turned. "Yes?"

"Put one between his eyes. For me. Please."

Shepard gave her a salute and turned, heading back into the estate. Behind him Kasumi smiled once more and disappeared. No guard would see her, not until it was far too late. As for him, well, he had one last thing to take care of.

The room above was sheer chaos. He could hear the dull cracks of weapons fire outside, the shattering of a window as a stray round smashed it. Garrus hadn't uttered a word, apparently the mercenaries weren't giving them as much trouble as he'd been afraid of. Then the floor shook and he almost fell.

"Shepard!"

"Report, Kasumi. What the hell was that?"

"Damn, damn, damn... I went down the service exit. Hock doesn't just have his vault down here. He has half his damn arms operation! And the guards are so damned panicked that they aren't checking their fire anymore. That was a fuel tank cooking off. Shepard there must been a cruisers worth of ordnance down here. This place is going to disappear off the map in the next fifteen minutes if these fires keep burning."

Shepard crouched next to a low wall and thought for a moment. "Understood. Get out of there, Kasumi. I'll get the others. We have to evac this place. Hock can burn for all I care but there are dozens of people here that don't deserve to burn to death."

He reached over and keyed his radio once more. "Garrus, you copy?"

"Sure do. What the hell is going on? We were having a nice little firefight and then the other team just up and quit."

"Hock has his damn arms operation under his own house. Guards opened fire down there and we all know how well explosives and bullets mix," he explained.

"Well, crap."

"Exactly. This just became a rescue mission. There are at least four shuttles out there, you and Zaeed grab people and get them out. I'm on my way to you."

"Shepard, I came here to kill Vido Santiago, not play rescue worker!" Zaeed growled over the comm.

"You came here as part of my team and you'll follow orders!" Shepard shot back. "I'm not leaving dozens of innocent people to be incinerated so you can kill one man. The mission parameters have changed, the mission is now to extract civilians and dust off before we all get blown to hell. Now get the job done!"

The mercenary's voice was acidic, but he complied. "Copy that."

Shepard stood and moved through the building, another small explosion rocking the place every few minutes. By now most of the guards had fled, leaving the few terrified guests that hadn't made it to their aircars and the servers behind. He grabbed the nearest of the women he'd seen serving drinks.

"Look, you want to live? Get these people out of here. Head to the landing pad, there are shuttles waiting. Can you or anyone else fly a shuttle?"

The woman's eyes were wide and terrified but she finally nodded. "I-I used to fly an old cargo hauler before... before the pirates..."

His expression softened slightly as he spoke. "Good. Just get everyone to the shuttle pad. My team is there, they'll protect you. Most of the guards are gone, nobody will try to stop you."

"Thank you," the woman whispered and started gathering the others.

This had turned into a mess quickly. It wasn't a great plan to begin with, but he should have known better than to make a move with insufficient intel. He continued to move through the house, clearing rooms as he went. A few remaining guards tried to stop him, but were quickly silenced.

He found Hock in his private quarters. They were just as lavish as the rest of the house, rich furnishing, expensive paintings and marble floors. The arms dealer was standing looking out of his window when Shepard entered, a pistol held tightly in one hand.

"Impressive, you managed to turn a night of triumph into a complete disaster, kill a dozen of my men, and ruin numerous priceless artifacts in the process," Hock said, turning to face him, a scowl painted on his face.

"You built a life on the pain of others, purchased pieces of history and hid them away from the galaxy, and then threw a party for all the murdering, slaving scum you knew. Pardon me if I don't feel particularly broken up," Shepard replied. He held the Locust pointed at the other man, his finger on the trigger.

"I remember you now. That name. Hero of the Citadel," Donovan sneered. "Fine. You won, are you happy, hero? Take me away. They'll charge me with the usual nonsense. You'll cost me a few years, but I'll always get it back, because I'm willing to do what's necessary to achieve my goals. And when I do, I'll make sure you remember my name."

The arms dealer tossed the pistol in his hand aside, hooking his thumbs in the pockets of his designer slacks, a look of contempt on his face. There would always be more like him, those willing to feed on others. But that didn't mean you turned a blind eye to it.

Shepard shook his head. "Should have paid more attention to the biography, Hock. I'm a Spectre, not C-Sec."

Hock's eyes widened as he suddenly understood. "Wait, we can make a-"

His finger squeezed the trigger. Hock's body jerked once, twice, and staggered backwards, falling back against the expansive window and sliding down. Without another glance at the body Shepard turned and walked out of the room. One more death in an ever growing list. For once he couldn't bring himself to feel the guilt.

* * *

By the time he made his way to the landing pad Hock's estate was ablaze. He ran out of the smoking building to find his team waiting, a number of guards littered around the courtyard. Garrus was waving a final group of the workers from the estate into another of the waiting shuttles.

Zaeed had discarded his helmet some time during the fighting and stood on the raised landing platform, scanning the burning building with his rifle. The look his fixed Shepard with could melt steel.

"What in the goddamn hell? I came here to kill one man. One very specific man, Shepard."

"I haven't seen him since everything went to shit, Zaeed."

"If you hadn't been so worried about playing hero then we could have went in and found the bastard!"

"Right, we go in and find him. In a crowd of people?" Shepard asked.

"If that's what it takes!"

Neither of them noticed the rising sound at first, until it became overpowering. A Mantis gunship shot overhead, banking to hover over the nearby roof. The blue and white paint job was unmistakable on the gunship and the armor of the soldiers that piled out of the side. Equally unmistakable was the man that looked down at them, laughing cruelly.

"I thought that was you, Zaeed. Just can't let it go, can you, old man?" Vido shouted down at him. "I have a hundred hardened killers at my back and you just keep coming. Better luck next time!"

"Son of a bitch," Zaeed growled, raising his rifle as Santiago stepped onto the gunship. He opened fire, rounds tracing an angry scar across the gunships armor and then catching one of the other mercenaries as they tried to board, sending the man tumbling off the roof.

The mercenary was howling in rage even as the gunship sped away, his weapon hissing and finally ejecting the red-hot thermal magazine. Zaeed stood for a moment panting before turning his attention to Shepard, rage in his eyes. His fingers squeezed the rifle in his hands as if he could break it.

"Twenty years! Twenty years of my goddamn life, Shepard, wasted!"

"Because Santiago got away? Is that all that matters, Zaeed? You were ready to let people burn to death so you could kill one man. We have a mission to do, a job. That job doesn't involve killing innocent people to satiate your blood lust!"

"He destroyed my life and left me for dead, Shepard!" Zaeed barked.

He met him, shout for shout. "And? I fucking died, Zaeed. I died sucking vacuum in space! You want to talk about pain? You want to talk about rage? I spent two years as a god damn piece of meat in a lab and came back to find that everything I'd accomplished washed away."

"I'm trying to fight a war here! Now either you can get with the program or you can spent the rest of your goddamn life obsessing about one simpering coward of a man that gets his kicks hurting people weaker than him! Is that the man you're going to let define the rest of your life? Because that's what you're doing!"

The two of them locked gazes for a long, tense moment. He wondered if it was going to actually come down to blows. Then Zaeed growled low in his throat and turned, bringing down the rifle in his hands on the nearby wall with a resounding crack that bent the housing and shattered the polymer stock.

"You're an annoying son of a bitch when you're right, Shepard. I've spent twenty years doing nothing but hunting Santiago. And that son of a bitch probably hasn't spent a week worrying about me. Fine. You got a mission to do? Then let's do it. But one day I am going to kill that man."

Shepard nodded. "We live through what's coming, Zaeed, and I'll help you."

"Guess we'll see, won't we?"

The crisis averted they quickly loaded up on the shuttle. Garrus punched the engines, pushing the ship into the air and towards the upper atmosphere. Behind them more explosions rocked Donovan Hock's estate thick curls of black smoke billowing in the air. For the second time in recent memory he was leaving a place that had jus been purged with fire.

Vido Santiago was still alive, even if he probably didn't deserve to be. But they had Kenji's graybox and Donovan Hock had paid in blood for his crimes. It wasn't perfect. But at least it was something.


	17. Chapter 16

The shuttle easily pulled away from the planet's surface. Shepard could hear confused comm chatter from the cockpit as the authorities responded to the destruction of Hock's estate and the ensuing chaos that it had caused. Add in half a dozen other shuttles all departing the area at the same time with the survivors from the attack and no one would be bothering them until they were long gone.

He glanced over to see Kasumi looking down at the small piece of technology in her hands, turning it over and over slowly. Moving slowly Shepard stood and moved to place a hand on her shoulder. When the thief looked up, he gestured to the rear compartment. She nodded and followed.

The Kodiak shuttle was top of the line, capable of being piloted by a single being or with a co-pilot, and with two main compartments. The main passenger area was capable of seating eight, while the rear compartment had a secondary set of communications gear and computers, along with seating for another four people. It would give them all they needed to interface with the graybox.

"This is all that's left, Shepard," she said quietly. "Keiji... died for whatever is on this."

"And he left you as the only one capable of accessing it. In the end it's yours to decide what to do with."

Kasumi looked at him, her expression neutral. "And if there really is data on here that could destroy the Alliance?"

"If there is... then it's yours, by right. I won't take it from you, too many people have died for that information already. We haven't worked together very long, Kasumi, but I'll trust you to do what's right," he responded. "That's part of what being on a team means."

"Trusting a professional thief? You really are a risk taker, Shepard."

The spectre shrugged. "I trust people, Kasumi. Not professions. It's been a rule of mine for as long as I can remember. Hasn't failed me yet."

Kasumi smiled and set the graybox down on the small ledge in front of the console. She removed a few wires from a bracelet at her wrist, plugging them directly into the terminal and then to the gray box. He saw the young thief's eyes lose focus and an image appear on the terminal's screen. She was immersed in the memories of the graybox.

The image was of a young man, his face unlined but eyes showing a weariness that belied his years. He had slim, with rounded features and hair as dark as Kasumi's but cut short. When he spoke it was in a voice laced with regret.

"Kasumi. If you're seeing this it's because I'm dead. The information that we found is all here. It's big, Kasumi. If the Council ever got wind of this it could implicate the Alliance, destroy everything that humanity has accomplished since the First Contact War."

Dozens of images appeared in the air, rows upon rows, all showing different scenes. The ghost of the man that had been Keiji Okuda continued.

"I've encrypted it all and uploaded the key to your graybox, your memories... but if I'm dead then I've made you a target, my love. I'm so... so sorry."

Shepard watched as she raised her hand, omni-tool aglow, spinning the images past so quickly they could barely be seen. The pictures continued to flash by, places and people the man had scene. Tender moments between young lovers. Shepard bowed his head out of respect. It made him think of his own death. All the things he would have liked to have said.

"Keiji," she whispered, voice wavering.

"I know you, Kasumi," he heard the man say. "You'll want to keep these memories forever, but you don't need a ghost of my memories for you to know that part of me will always be with you. I beg you, my love, destroy these files. It's the last thing I can do to protect you."

"I-I can't do that... this is all I have left. Don't go..."

Her arms reached for a man that wasn't there. Shepard moved closer and placed a hand around her shoulders, guiding her to one of the seats. The image on the screen smiled once more, a brief moment of contentment in an ocean of sadness expressed in a single gesture.

"Goodbye, Kasumi. I love you."

Under his arm he felt Kasumi's shoulders shake as the image faded and she leaned into him. They sat for a few minutes, the hum of the engines and the faint sound of her pain the only things that broke the silence. When she finally looked up tears had left lines down her face that she tried to wipe away.

"He laced the data into every memory, every moment," she said. "To destroy one, the other has to be lost completely."

"Kasumi," he urged, keeping his arm across her shoulders. "I know that it hurts. But you can't live in your memories, or his. Keiji loved you, wanted you to be safe. And he wanted you to live your life."

Her fingers tightened around the small implant, voice cracking. "I know, but I just want to... to run away. To slip back into those old memories, to see his face again. Hear his voice."

"But is that what he would want? Your life trickling away reliving past memories instead of making new ones?" Shepard grimaced, realizing his own hypocrisy. "A wise man once told me not to let your memories kill you. That applies to the happy ones as well as the tragic ones."

"No," she breathed. Her hand shook as she held the graybox. "But I... I don't think I can. It's like losing him all over again."

He reached out and gently took the implant from her hands, treating it with the reverence he would a soldier's dog tags. "I'll do it for you, but I won't force you."

Kasumi nodded, hands balled into tight fists. "Do it. Just... do it quickly, please."

Removing the leads from Kasumi's wrist he plugged them into his own omni-tool. The small command screen sprung to life and he tapped a few keys, then pressed the final command. The faint green light on the implant flashed slowly before finally pulsing a final time and dimming.

"Goodbye, my love," Kasumi said as the light went out completely.

Shepard opened up one of the pouches at his belt and slipped the device inside. It would be left at the next major port they encountered where the right people could find it. A clear message that the search was over.

"I don't know how to repay what you've done, Shepard. But the least I can do is promise that I'll do everything I can to help you on your mission. Tali kept telling me that you were a unique man. Only now do I see how right she was."

Kasumi looked at him and smiled faintly, nodding to the arm around her shoulder. "And you know you're getting soot all over me."

"What? Damn, sorry," he said, realizing she was right. His armor was streaked with soot and ash from making his way through Hock's burning estate. Glancing at his reflection in the window it was clear it even darkened his face.

"Don't worry, sometimes it helps that I like the dark and mysterious look. Dirt doesn't show on black."

"Heh, guess my first stop is going to be a shower after we get back," Shepard said sheepishly.

Kasumi chuckled. After a moment her expression sobered, wiping the last of the tears from her eyes. She examined Shepard for a moment.

"What you said about memories. Sounds like experience, Shepard."

He nodded, a sigh whistling past his lips as he stood and headed back towards the main compartment. "The bad ones can trap you just as easily as the good ones. The longer you live with them the harder it gets to pull yourself out."

"How did you get away from them?"

The smile on his face was rueful. "Never said I did."

He left Kasumi in the rear compartment, giving her some time alone before they docked. The only saving grace of the entire sad situation was that at least Keiji had gotten the opportunity to say goodbye one last time. It was a luxury few ever enjoyed.

After the shuttle touched down his small team piled out. Kasumi and Zaeed were both silent, each dealing with their own resolutions to what had happened on the planet below. For his part Grunt was simply happy to have gotten to shoot something.

"It's like an itch beneath my scales, making me want to just... break something," the krogan said as they exited the airlock.

"No offense, Grunt, but how is this different than usual?" he asked.

"I don't know. But it is... usually I feel the call of battle, to pit myself against the strongest opponents. Now I just crave violence."

Shepard glanced over at the massive alien. "Why don't we have Mordin and Chakwas take a look at you. Maybe there is something about you being tank-bred."

"Hrmph. Maybe. There is nothing in the imprints to explain it," Grunt agreed.

An agitated krogan definitely wasn't something he needed on board, Grunt was already inclined to violence. If he lost control it would be one hell of a mess. Between Mordin and Chakwas, though, he was confident of a solution. It was probably just some sort of imbalance from the krogan's unique breeding.

Kasumi had already disappeared, while Zaeed and Grunt headed to their respective sides of the lower deck. Garrus waited until they were in the elevator to speak.

"So... that was interesting."

"I thought you'd approve. Hock was the worst sort of scum. Probably kept most of those low-lifes you dealt with on Omega in business."

"Wasn't complaining," Garrus clarified. "Just was one hell of a day. Kasumi alright?"

Shepard considered then nodded. "I think so, she lost a great deal, but she's strong. If you see her it wouldn't hurt to try to get her to chat, though. Sometimes being alone with your thoughts isn't as good as it sounds."

"I'll keep an eye out, though I'm not known for my motivational speeches," Garrus said.

"I'm sure you'll manage," he replied. The elevator stopped and opened to the crew deck. "I'm going to get cleaned up."

"Oh, you're dirty? I thought that was just how you always looked. Silly humans."

Shepard just smirked as the doors closed. As much as Garrus discounted himself, the turian had a knack for leadership. He listened well and while his comments were often rather sardonic, they were also perceptive. Even among the Cerberus crew he had gained a measure of respect and friendship. It made him wonder what would have happened if the Council hadn't had their heads up their collective rears and had made the man a Spectre. Their loss was his gain.

The elevator continued on, stopping briefly at the CIC long enough for him to inform Miranda of their successful mission and to set course for the Citadel. Shepard needed to update Anderson and events and see about securing a dry dock to install some of the upgrades he'd been researching for the Normandy. She arched an eyebrow at his appearance but had merely nodded.

A few minutes later he was in his quarters, his neck giving a loud crack as he rolled it. Shepard smiled when he noticed the duffel sitting on his couch. How exactly Kasumi had managed get to his room in the brief time he'd spent speaking to Miranda he didn't know, but he would let the unauthorized entry slide this time. He was now even happier that he'd made the impulsive decision to take the tablets, there was a good chance anything else in Hock's home had been destroyed in the fire.

He unzipped the bag and pulled out one of the tablets. It was gray stone, smoothed by unknown centuries of weathering and etched with symbols that were unreadable to him at least. Shepard shook his head, tracing one finger tip along the flowing script. He was kidding himself if he thought he'd snatched the artifacts from a love of history, it was mental image of Tali looking at them, voice excited and happy, that had motivated him.

"That's right, just jump in deeper you idiot," Shepard sighed, seeming to talk to his reflection in the still empty fish tank, snapping the buckles at his wrists and pulling off the armored gauntlets.

It had taken almost watching the young quarian die to make him realize that what he felt for Tali was more than friendship. If he let himself dwell on it he'd realize that it had begun long before, when he'd first brought the naive but energetic engineer onto his crew despite the objections of Udina and some of the Alliance brass. Somewhere between the long conversations in the mess hall aboard the original Normandy when neither of them could sleep and the insanity that had been the last months of his life she had become one of the few people he trusted implicitly. The only voice that drew him out of the the armor he'd worn around himself for so long.

Of course the part of his brain that governed logic and reason always slammed the door shut whenever his thoughts wandered in that direction. Tali'Zorah vas Neema was a friend, one who'd stuck by him when so many others hadn't. But she was also from another race, another culture, with a life of her own that he'd absent from for two years.

Still, here was no harm in giving a gift to a friend. He carefully placed the tablet in the bag once and zipped it closed, he wasn't sure if the quarians had a concept of 'wrapped' presents but a little mystery never hurt anyone. He glanced towards the currently silent console next to the door.

"EDI, please tell Tali to come to my quarters in half an hour or so," he said, then quickly added. "If she isn't busy, that is. No emergency."

"Understood, Commander," EDI responded.

Shepard continued to remove his armor, placing the shoulder piece on the table next to the gauntlets. The thin coating of black soot meant he was going to have to do a rather through cleaning soon. He had just removed his chest piece when a faint knock echoed through the room.

"I said half an hour," he muttered. "Come in!"

The door opened and Tali stepped inside slowly. She seemed to pause for a moment and then proceed until she stood at the threshold between his 'office' and the rest of the room. Her fingers were clasped tightly before her.

"Ah, Tali. A little earlier..." he began, but trailed off as he noticed her posture. The slump of her shoulders, the way she seemed to be looking down. "What's wrong?"

"I came to tell you, I mean I wanted to say it in person. I know you just came back from the mission," Tali said, finally looking up. He could see her eyes widen at the sight of his black streaked armor and face. "Keelah! Shepard... are you okay?"

He stepped forward, frowning. "Tali, I'm fine. What's wrong? You said you came to tell me something?"

The engineer turned her face to the side, breaking eye contact and nodding. Her words came in the rush, voice far quieter than the self assured tone he'd become used to. "I'm sorry, Shepard. I have to leave the Normandy. S-Soon."

A problem with crew, finally deciding to take up his offer of getting her proper quarters, or even some accusation of him acting strange he had been prepared for. This he was not. In the back of his mind Shepard knew that she would return to the Flotilla eventually, but not this soon. He hadn't received anything informing him that the Admiralty board was revoking her authorization to serve on his ship. The gracious thing to do would be to accept it and appreciate everything that she had done for him. But he wasn't quite that good of a man.

"Leave? Tali... why? I- the mission, you're still needed here," he said lamely. "I know that things haven't exactly been the same as they were... the things that have happened since I came back..."

"What? Oh, no," Tali replied, shaking her head. "Shepard, I don't want to leave. But I received a message from the Admiralty board."

She paced nervously before continuing. "I've been charged with treason, Shepard. I don't know what's going on, but I've been ordered to return to the Fleet to... to face the charges."

"Treason?" Shepard was nonplussed. "Tali, I have to twist your arm to get you to even buy decent food for yourself. I don't know anyone less capable of committing treason."

Her fingers curled into fists, frustration and confusion evident in every gesture and word. "I just don't know... treason is brought before the Board. My father will have to recuse himself but he hasn't even sent me a message. I... I will have to book passage on the first vessel I can find when we reach the Citadel."

"Slow down," he said quietly, stepping closer and placing his hand on her shoulder, stopping her pacing.

"Slow down? I can't! The Fleet is mining for element zero in the Valhallan Threshold. Even if I leave as soon as we reach the Citadel... what if they decide I'm not coming and have the trial without me? Treason is the worst crime we can be convicted of..."

Shepard leaned over and activated his console. "Hell with that. EDI! Tell Joker to set course for the Valhallan Threshold, maximum speed. No questions, just do it."

"Of course, Commander," came the AI's usual reply.

"You thought I was going to let you hop on some damn transport when you're being charged with treason?" he said, responding to the way her eyes suddenly fixed on him after he spoke.

"But.. the mission..."

"The mission is about taking the best damn team in the galaxy to bring the fight to the Collectors. You're part of that team, Tali. As far as I'm concerned this is the mission. Now sit down and tell me exactly what you know, what's going to happen."

"Thank you, Shepard. You don't know what it means..." Tali said, then shook her head, fingers still twirling in her lap. "And I don't know what's going to happen. Charges of treason are only brought when someone endangers the Fleet as a whole."

"What's the punishment for treason, Tali?" he asked, fearing the answer.

She sighed audibly. "Exile. If the crime is considered to be one of negligence the convicted might be given a small ship and supplies, but they're forever banished from the Fleet. Should they have children in exile those children would at least be allowed to rejoin the Fleet."

On one hand Shepard had been afraid the word 'death' was going to leave her mouth, but on the other he could see where exile could be as bad or worse for Tali. She had given everything to the Fleet, to everyone else. To be forever cut off from that very thing would be devastating.

"Well, then maybe I can put that old Hero of the Citadel title to good use. Figure it should carry a little weight as a character witness," he said. "I'll admit I don't know too much about how your legal system works, but we'll get you through this, Tali. I know you couldn't have committed treason any more than I can could sprout wings and fly."

With some prompting they spent the next hour talking about what she knew of how the Admiralty Board worked. Her worry never disappeared, but at least by the time Tali returned to engineering she at least seemed more at ease, a little of the boundless energy he'd come to expect from her in her step once more. Shepard didn't know what he could do, but he would be damned if would sit idly by while someone accused his people of treason.

All the while the duffel bag and its gift sat at the foot of Shepard's couch, forgotten.

* * *

Shepard stood in the cockpit, while Tali paced behind Joker's chair. The Normandy decelerated as she entered the system, the space outside shifting back into its normal color spectrum. Ahead of them, drifting through the the ring of dust that was the only feature in this barren system was the Migrant Fleet. Thousands of ships, from small freighters to vessels to rival the largest Alliance dreadnoughts. It always stirred something in Tali to see it.

"My god, Tali. All the times we talked about it, but seeing it is something else," Shepard said, one hand against the bulkhead as he watched the ships grow larger as they approached.

"And now you see my home. I wish it was for a better reason," she said sadly.

Joker looked over his shoulder. "We just got tagged with about twenty different targeting solutions and we're being hailed. You want to handle this, Tali?"

She nodded, waiting for the pilot to activate the comm. "Yes, answer the hail. This is Tali'Zorah vas Neema requesting permission to dock with the Rayya."

"We copy. Tali'Zorah, we have your vessel flagged as Cerberus. Please confirm," the voice on the other end replied. On Joker's screens she could see see the red lights flashing, warning of target locks.

"After time adrift among open stars, along tides of light and shoals of dust, I will return to where I began," she intoned.

"Welcome home, Tali'Zorah. You will be escorted to the Rayya."

One by one most of the targeting locks disengaged as two frigate-sized vessels pulled alongside. Shepard breathed a sigh of relief and looked to Tali, questioning. "What was that, Tali? A pass phrase of some sort, but it was beautiful."

"When we leave on Pilgrimage we chose a phrase that can be used to tell the Fleet that we've returned and are not under duress. It is a simple saying from the Scroll of the Ancestors, but I've always found it fitting."

"I can see why. Give me a few, we'll be docked soon and I still need to get ready. Do you want anyone else to go with us?"

She shook her head. "There's no reason to make anyone have to deal with the scrutiny of my people. Shepard you don't have to go either, I don't even know if they'll listen to anything you have to say."

"Yes, I do. Now wait for me down here, I need to get suited up," he replied, his tone making it an inarguable statement. Then he smirked. "And don't worry, I remember. Suits even on the ships, I'll make sure to wear the helmet this time."

Before Tali could respond he had cleared the distance to the elevator and stepped inside. She was left waiting, leaning against the bulkhead. Her mind was still in chaos, wondering what was going to happen. It still didn't make any sense, she would never betray the Fleet, not even by accident. How could her human friends understand that, yet the very people she had dedicated nearly all her life to not?

"Hey, cheer up, Tali," Joker prompted. "I'm sure its just a screw up. And Shepard has that stubborn look in his eye. Every time I've seen that he's pulled off something crazy."

"I hope so," she responded quietly.

The pilot gave her one of his rare smiles that wasn't followed by a smart comment or sarcastic question and turned back to the console, continuing to bring the Normandy in to dock with the massive quarian vessel that was the Rayya. She was almost immediately lost in her own thoughts again, only to be jolted out once more by Kasumi's sudden appearance at her side.

"Hey there, T," she said. The thief was wearing her usual bodysuit, but beneath her hood Tali could see a sealed environment helmet, turning her face into a smooth mask with faintly glowing red optics. The effect was actually slightly spooky.

"Kasumi, what are you doing? Other than making me jump?"

"Your reaction is just such fun," Kasumi replied with a shrug. "But I'm here because I figure we'll be docked soon. You didn't think I was going to let go in there by your lonesome did you?"

"I..."

"Garrus was all suited up too, but I persuaded him to stay behind. He argued but when I pointed out that quarians didn't typically have the best of relations with turians out in the world he finally relented. And I told him between me and Shepard we'd make sure you were alright."

She smiled behind her visor, feeling something in her throat. Part of her wanted to tell Kasumi that it wasn't necessary and that she'd just be stuck in a suit for who knows how long while this entire incident took place. But she didn't, just enjoying the reminder that she didn't just have crewmates, she had friends.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it. Besides I've never seen the inside of a quarian ship, how could I pass that up?" Kasumi asked.

It was almost as if Tali could see the grin beneath her mask. It was odd, she had gotten so used to seeing other people's expressions in her time aboard the Normandy. Humans especially seemed to convey an amazing range of emotions through simple expressions that it was strange to see them hidden. She wondered if this was how they always felt when talking to her.

The two waited in silence for a few more minutes until the elevator opened once more and Shepard stepped onto the CIC. Kasumi made a wolf-whistle sound.

"Shiny, Shep."

Shepard had not only cleaned off the black soot that had covered the armor only a few hours before but burnished every plate to gleam faintly even with the non-reflective coating on the armor. At his hip rested a lone sidearm, apparently a weapon he'd acquired on the recent mission to help Kasumi and Zaeed. The submachine gun was equally cleaned, all shiny dark metal, while its grip looked like it was made of polished bone.

The curved, slightly archaic looking armor made him look like an ancient knight brought into modern time. Oddly her first thought was that she'd have to tell him some time about the fact that Rannoch had its own parallels to what she'd seen in Earth's history about knights when she'd looked at up at Kasumi's prompting. He chuckled faintly, voice coming clearly from the helmet's voice unit. Apparently Jacob's repair had been successful.

"Don't want them thinking I'm just another human vagabond. I'm not much for politics and status, but in this situation I thought a good first impression might count."

"You look very impressive, Commander," Tali said.

A faint thunk sound was heard and Joker spoke up. "Docking complete, we have a seal."

The gravity of the situation came rushing back in as Shepard motioned them into the airlock. Her fingers flexed nervously and she felt herself raising up on her toes repeatedly. She was about to step onto her birthship and it was to be tried for treason. She saw the commander's helmet turn in her direction.

"Sorry," she muttered.

"Don't be," he said quietly. "You okay?"

She looked down, ashamed, fingers balling into tight little fists. Her voice was barely a whisper. "I'm scared, Shepard."

"I know," he said. She felt his hand on her shoulder once more, fingers squeezing faintly. "Just keep your chin up. You're not alone here."

Tali smiled, raising her head and nodding. "You're right. I'm not going to give up before the fight even starts."

"That's my Tali," he laughed. His hand fell away and she bit her lip, trying to control her nervous energy. The part of her that just needed comfort wanted to tell him not to let go, but the more rational part overruled her. He was already doing so much, it was all she could do not to tell him how she felt.

Finally the airlock cycle completed. Shepard stepped confidently onto the deck of the quarian vessel, Tali and Kasumi right behind him. He had a familiar set to his shoulders, the way he walked. This was Shepard on a mission, the man everyone saw when he meant business.

Ahead of them half a dozen marines stood with weapons held at ease, while a familiar seventh suited form stood out front. It was the captain of the Rayya, Captain Kar'Danna. The quarian stepped forward to greet them.

"Captain Shepard, I presume? I am Captain Kar'Danna vas Rayya"

"Ah, Commander, actually. I never actually achieved the rank of captain."

The quarian shook his head. "As the commanding officer of the ship Tali'Zorah serves on your voice carries much weight, and whatever your rank, that makes you her Captain. She told us much about you, I only wish our meeting could be under better circumstances."

Shepard nodded. "Tali has done a great deal to help my crew and the galaxy. I'm here to return the favor. Can you tell us what is going on?"

"I have to remain neutral in the proceedings, Tali, I'm sorry. The Board is charging you with bringing active geth into the fleet as part of a secret project."

She stepped forward, shocked. "That's impossible. I never brought active geth aboard anywhere! I only sent parts and pieces."

"Wait, what?" Shepard asked.

"I guess I know what this is about, now... my father asked me to keep an eye out for new pieces of geth technology to send back to him for study. But I only sent deactivated parts," she replied.

"Okay, let's deal with that later then. Captain Kar'Danna, what is the next step?"

"Technically I'm under orders to place Tali'Zorah under arrest until the proceedings. So, Tali, you are confined to this ship until the trial is over," the captain said. "Preparations got underway as soon as you arrived. The hearing is being held in the garden plaza. Good luck, Tali."

"Thank you, Captain," Tali said, relief in her voice. She had seen her two companions stiffen at the mention of arrest, but Kar'Danna had exercised his rights as Captain to interpret his orders as he saw fit aboard his own vessel. Shepard glanced back and she nodded.

Walking through the ship was surreal. She could hear whispered conversation, snippets of her name. Quarians were social people, always talking, gossiping, sharing. Now she was the topic. Helmets turned, observing her and her companions with each step, speculation in the air, some good, some bad, but it wasn't the home she remembered. She felt like an outsider.

She saw another familiar figure ahead, her veil a checkered brown. The other quarian she was speaking to nodded and stepped away as Tali approached.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, I am glad you came quickly. I could not delay them much longer," the woman said.

"Auntie Raan!"

Unable to help herself Tali opened her arms and wrapped the older quarian in a hug, feeling a gentle pat on her back as she returned the embrace. Shala'Raan was like another member of her family, even helping her mother raise her when her father spent so much time working. Tali moved away after a moment and turned to Shepard, clearing her throat after the impulsive gesture.

"Shepard vas Normandy, this is Admiral Shala'Raan vas Tonbay. An a friend of my father's and-" she stopped abruptly as her mind caught up after giving the formal introduction of Shepard's name in the quarian style. Her visor turned to look at the Admiral. "Wait, Raan you call me 'vas Normandy'."

"I am afraid I did, Tali. The Admiralty Board moved to try you under that name due to your departure from the Neema to serve aboard Shepard's vessel."

Her pause to absorb this new information gave Shepard a chance to interject. "That sounds like she's being punished already. Doesn't Tali have some sort of counsel? Someone to speak in her defense?"

"Indeed she does... Captain Shepard," Shala said, emphasising the rank before his name. "Tali is part of your crew now, recognized by quarian law. And remember, an accused is always represent by his or her _hesh'alan_."

Tali interjected as her mind caught up, already knowing what he would ask. "The word is an honorific. Captain isn't just a rank for quarians, Shepard. This means that you would actually be the one to speak in my defense..."

The was no hesitation in his response. "I'll do everything in my power to help you, Tali."

"I couldn't ask for a better counsel," she replied, meeting his eyes through their respective helmets.

"Our legal rules are simple, Captain Shepard. There are no legal loop holes or exceptions, simply offer the truth as best you can," Shala'Raan explained.

"Are you going to be part of the trial?" Shepard asked.

"No, due to my history with Tali and her family I have been forced to recuse myself."

"I'm sure father did as well," Tali sighed.

Shala didn't respond for a moment, then finally gestured behind her. "Please, Tali, come. I promised them that I would not delay you. I will be serving as an arbiter over the trial to ensure all rules are followed, but I will have no influence over the decision."

They followed the Admiral, entering a much larger chamber, one of the biggest to be found aboard quarian vessels. Plants were in special containers around the perimeter and even a few small fountains trickled quietly near the center of the room. Numerous quarians were seated on the benches facing the dais where three admirals stood. The small platform across from them was where she would stand and face their accusations.

Kasumi had been quiet, following along without comment up until this point. She remained so, only gliding up to offer her hand a quick squeeze and a nod of encouragement before slipping to the back of the crowd. Shala walked around the edge and to the back of the dais, taking her raised position just above and behind the other three admirals. Where was her father? Of all days he couldn't spare the time when his own daughter was accused of treason?

Walking beside her, Shepard offered another brief touch on her shoulder, guiding her forward until they both stood on the platform, his hands resting on the railing around it. The crowd murmured as more quarians took their seat, the sound dying down as Shala'Raan spoke.

"This Conclave is brought to order! Blessed are the ancestors who kept us alive, sustained us, and enabled us to reach this season. Keelah sel'ai."

"Keelah sel'ai," Tali repeated, echoed by every quarian in the room.

"The accused, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, has come with her _hesh'alan_ to defend herself against the charges of treason."

The words had barely left Shala's modulator when the admiral standing in the middle interjected. His suit was pale white and faded red, his form slim even for a quarian. "Objection! A human has no business at these proceedings that involve such sensitive military matters!"

Her response was just as quick. "Then you should not have declared Tali'Zorah as crew of the Normandy, Admiral Koris. By right as Tali's captain Shepard must stay."

"Objection withdrawn," the man replied sullenly.

"Shepard vas Normandy," Shala'Raan continued. "Your crew member Tali'Zorah stands accused of treason. Will you speak for her?"

This was the moment of truth. She had seen Shepard in battle, even seen him address the Council without fear or hesitation. But she had never told him about quarian politics, or trials, or anything of the sort. He stepped forward, hands clasped behind her back in a military at rest posture.

"I will. But despite your accusations she remains Tali'Zorah vas Neema, a proud and dedicated member of this Fleet. My only regret is that her Captain has been forbidden to stand at her side today," Shepard stated.

Koris spoke up again. "No one has been forbidden anything. It is a simple-"

"Lie to them if you must, Zael'Koris, but don't lie to me and expect silence! The human is right," the admiral to Koris' left objected. It was Han'Gerrel, his rough voice and brash manner bringing a faint smile to her face even in the current circumstances. He was another old friend of her fathers, but due to the amount of time since they had served together she guessed that he hadn't been forced to recuse himself as well.

"Admirals... Captain Shepard's willingness to represent Tali'Zorah at these proceedings is appreciated," Shala said, holding up her hands for silence before turning her attention back to Tali.

"Tali'Zorah you stand accused of bringing active geth to the Migrant Fleet. What say you?"

Shepard responded before she even had the chance. "Tali has been on the Normandy with me, she isn't even capable of bringing back active geth."

"To clarify, Shepard, she isn't accused of bringing back entire geth. Merely sending back parts that could spontaneous reactivate," the third admiral said. Daro'Xen vas Moreh. Tali had never known her well, but the few times she had interacted with her she had always seemed... distant. Uninterested in the normal interactions that quarians seemed to enjoy.

At the accusation she stepped forward. "I would never send active geth back to the Fleet! Everything I sent was harmless and deactivated!"

"Then explain how geth seized the lab ship where your father was working!" Koris demanded. A ripple of surprise and conversation moved through the room, even as Tali tried to understand. Seized his ship?

"What are you talking about? What happened?"

Gerrel answered, his voice resigned. "As far as we can tell, Tali, the geth have killed everyone on the Alarei... your father included."

"Oh... oh keelah," she muttered, hands shaking as she clasped them together tightly.

"You bring this up in the middle of a trial? Look at her, she had no idea," Shepard said. There was heat in his voice, now. Indignation. "No matter, if there are active geth then that safety of this fleet must be the top priority. The Normandy stands ready to offer any assistance necessary."

She looked to her captain. "Shepard, we have to take back the Alarei!"

"The safest course would be to simply destroy the ship, but if prefer an honorable death to exile..." Koris trailed off. The statement was like a blow and she felt something in her snap.

"I'm looking for my father, you _bosh'tet_!" she yelled, jabbing an accusing digit at the admiral.

"Please," Shala said, raising her hands once more. "Tali, your proposal to retake the Alarei is extremely dangerous. Strike teams have already attempted to remove the geth presence there and failed."

Shepard's gaze drifted across all three Admirals, his voice back to a respectful tone. "With your permission, yes. The safety of your Fleet comes first and Tali needs to find her father."

"If you die on this worthy mission, Tali, we will ensure that your name is cleared of these charges," Gerrel offered.

Koris' head turned towards his fellow admiral. "We can discuss that later."

"It is decided. You will attempt to retake the Alarei. You are hereby given leave to depart the Rayya. A shuttle will be waiting at the secondary docking hangar to take you there. Be safe. This hearing will resume upon your return or on determination that you have been killed in action."

The session over, Shala stepped down as the crowd dispersed, followed by the other admirals. Around the room the murmuring increased, a low hum of activity. Tali stepped up next to Shepard.

"Thank you, Shepard. For agreeing to retake the Alarei. The admirals sound sure that my father is already dead... but we can't know for sure until we get there."

"Are you okay?" he asked. "Between your father and the rest that was a lot to deal with all at once."

She sighed. "I guess you're never prepared to be charged with treason. And... and my father, he could still be alive. They don't know for certain, he is a smart man. He always had plans... I just don't know, Shepard. But I need to find out."

"We will, Tali. And I know we need to do it quickly, but give me a minute to see if I can find out more about what we're up against," he said.

Her only response was to nod numbly. So much was happening so quickly. First treason, now being told that her father was dead. She couldn't believe it, not him. They had to reach the Alarei, find him. She followed behind Shepard as he approached Shala, head snapping up at his words and the harsh tone.

"Admiral. Care to explain why you decided to spring that sort of news on Tali in the middle of a damn trial? You could have told us before we went in there."

Shala shook her head. "I am sorry, Tali. But the Admirals had to hear the shock in your voice, to ensure that they would let you attempt to retake the Alarei. I know that it was painful, but I am only trying to help you."

"Maybe but that's news no one should have to hear, much less like that," Shepard replied, but stopped when Tali touched his arm.

"I-It's okay, Shepard. Shala is like family, I know that she just wants to keep me safe."

His sigh was audible. "Okay. Sorry, look, why don't you stay here with Shala for a few minutes. Kasumi, head back to the Normandy and grab the rest of our combat gear. Why don't you wait here with Admiral Raan while I got try to get some more information on the situation. Then at least they can't accuse you of trying to influence the vote."

When she nodded, Shepard moved away, first towards Han'Gerrel. Tali felt Shala by her side a moment before the older woman's fingers brushed her shoulder. She turned her gaze to the woman that had helped raise her.

"I am sorry, Tali. But it was the best way I could think of to give you the chance to find the evidence you need to clear your name."

"I know, Auntie Raan. He's just... protective of his crew," she tried to explain.

"Hrm, is that so. I knew you spoke highly of him when you were sending us messages during your Pilgrimage. Kal'Reegar was also quite... effusive in his praise. I'm glad to see they were not exaggerations. He speaks quite well," Shala mused.

Tali looked at him, his back to her as he spoke animatedly with Admiral Koris, his large frame only more noticeable in his armor. "He's a good man."

"I hope he is," Shala said, looking at her. "Be safe, Tali'Zorah, and come back to us."

"I will, Auntie Raan."


	18. Chapter 17

"Captain Shepard. I was told to give you access to one of our shuttles to reach the Alarei," the quarian marine at the airlock informed him.

"That's correct. Just point the way, we've got work to do," Shepard replied.

He had made his information gathering quick, he knew that Tali would want to go as soon as possible. From the way Admiral Han'Gerrel and some of the other marines had spoken he didn't have a good feeling about what they would find. The other two admirals had been less useful when it came to information about their target, but had been more enlightening in regards to what was actually going on.

The truth frustrated him. Tali was nothing more than a pawn in their political game. Koris had displayed no real malice towards her, rather his ire had been directed at her father's research into weapons to fight the geth, something he saw as a step in the wrong direction. The woman, Xen, probably worried him more than either of the others. Where Koris was afraid of battle and Gerrel was far too eager for it, it was clear Daro'Xen was interested in power, pure and simple. She had only barely measurable interest in the trial, instead being far more intrigued in the potential to somehow regain control of the geth.

Gerrel and Koris were idealists. At opposite ends of the spectrum, but similar in their methods at least. He had a sinking feeling Xen was much more the pragmatist. While she seemed genuinely interested in the safety of the Fleet as a whole, he got the impression that she wouldn't hesitate to make 'acceptable sacrifices' to accomplish anything she considered a worthwhile goal.

"Sir, if you don't mind me saying... I was on the last team to make it out of the Alarei. It was... it was a mess. Do you really think the three of you accomplish something a dozen of our men couldn't?" the quarian at the door asked, interrupting his musings.

"I know they can," another, more gruff quarian announced.

"Kal!" Tali said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

The marine nodded his head. "Ma'am. I came here to give testimony before your trial got started. I couldn't just sit around on my duff while they tried to drag you through the waste tanks."

"Thanks, Reegar," Shepard said, extending his hand in greeting. "Glad to see you made a full recovery after Haestrom."

"Reaction was pretty mild, amazing what three hundred percent of the recommended dose of antibiotics will do," Kal'Reegar replied, returning the handshake. "I requested to be allowed to go with you to the Alarei but they voted me down. Said they weren't going to lose more marines on a 'suicide mission'. Told'em if they'd seen you in action they wouldn't have called it that."

"Thank you, Kal. It means a great deal to know that some people still have faith in me," Tali said.

"You just come back in one piece, ma'am."

The soldier tossed them both a salute. Within the next few minutes they found themselves on a shuttle, burning hard towards a ship at the edge of the flotilla with a pair of cruisers flanking it. The shuttle was smaller and older than the Kodiaks that rested in the Normandy's hangar, but it did the job. He glanced between his two companions.

"I don't need to tell either of you that this is dangerous. We'll be in close quarters and things can get messy fast. Kasumi, I doubt you've had a great deal of experience dealing with geth, but Tali has forgotten more about them than most people have ever learned and I've at least gotten more than my fair share of practice."

"Don't worry about me, Shep. Last time I checked these fancy Locusts had very nice armor penetration," the thief responded.

"I'm sure you'll do just fine. Just remember, don't assume one is down just because you shot it. Geth don't feel pain, as long as part of them is still operational they're dangerous."

"Shepard's right. They work together more efficiently that most organic combat teams and a 'wound' only removes the area directly effected from the fight rather without impacting their combat efficiency otherwise," Tali interjected.

"So shoot'em until they stop moving and pop'em again to make sure?" Kasumi asked.

"You've got it," he confirmed.

He double checked his weapons again. As much as he liked it, the Widowmaker had been left behind. Not only was it simply too unwieldy for the close corridors of a ship, it actually had enough penetrative power to be a hazard if a stray round hit the right spot. Instead Kasumi had brought him his heavy Carnifex pistol and a Scimitar assault shotgun. It didn't have the tighter grouping and range of Tali's Eviscerator, but for this mission he was the point man. Neither Tali or Kasumi had the armor to hold up to any kind of sustained fire. The Scimitar's considerable rate of fire and stopping power would make sure he got the job done.

"We've going to do this fast, you two," he said as the shuttle moved to make contact with the Alarei's airlock. "If the intel I got was right we're looking at a few dozen total platforms."

"Shepard... my father," Tali urged.

"Any survivors are our priority, that includes finding your father, Tali. But this is also about finding the evidence we need to clear your name."

"I know."

"Good. Time to go show the Admirals how the best get the job done, hm?" Shepard said, trying to raise the young engineer's spirits.

She raised her gaze upwards again and nodded, checking the thermal magazine in her shotgun one last time. Her voice carried that confident edge he'd come to expect.

"Let's go kill some geth."

Their quarian pilot nervously confirmed a seal on the Alarei's airlock. Shepard made a final visual check and then gave them a thumbs up, smiling when both Kasumi and Tali returned the gesture. Tali had been somewhat confused when he'd first explained the hand signal, but after many engagements it had become second nature. Reassured he slapped the door override and stepped into the Alarei, shotgun held in a ready position braced against his shoulder.

The condition of the first room did not raise his spirits. The vessel's emergency lighting was activated, most of the standard illumination sources dark or destroyed. A male quarian was slumped against the wall, the floor sticky with blood. Scorch marks and deep gouges from weapons fire could be seen on the walls and further evidenced by the numerous pieces of shattered equipment.

Movement caught his eye to the left, smooth gray metal and a single glowing red optic. He lined up the shotgun and fired, the majority of the spread catching the geth in the arm, leaving it dangling uselessly at its side. Tali's blast was far more precise, tearing through the synthetic's mid-section. Damn. He needed to keep up on his weapons training, he wasn't nearly as proficient with the short ranged weapon as his engineer.

"Contact!" he barked.

The second door to the room opened at his right, two more geth covering their entrance with a spray of fire from their assault rifles. He reached down and tossed a tech-mine in the doorway, a bright flash followed by a burst of flames. It wasn't terribly effective against geth, but it would disrupt them and cause some damage.

"Kasumi, right! Tali, drone, left door," Shepard ordered. The shimmering little ball of mass effect fields immediately sprung to life, arcs of energy striking out at the geth trying to storm through the door. Its sudden appearance threw off their momentum, another blast from Tali's shotgun disabling another.

They had clearly noticed the shuttle's approach and had decided to attempt to quash the incursion immediately. Kasumi's omni-tool flared to life as she threw something and one of the geth on the left staggered, electricity arcing across its frame as its shields died. She dove into cover immediately after, firing a burst from her SMG as she did. Shepard charged forward, the shotgun bucking against his shoulder twice more to send the geth without shields smashing into the wall behind.

He slid the last few feet to brace against a heavy crate, silently thanking quarians for their tendency to horde supplies even at the cost of space. After the initial torrent of return fire he popped his head up and squeezed the trigger in rapid succession. Even with shields at short range the other geth quickly crumpled. The next that tried to come through the door lost its shields to another blast, craters drawing a line up its chest as Kasumi took advantage of the opening.

The sound of static filled is head. Tali's drone failing. Dropping the empty shotgun he drew the Carnifex, pounding out six quick shots into the first geth that tried to breach the door. Two more pushed through in a hail of fire, causing him to crouch low and slap another thermal mag into the heavy pistol. He almost missed the telltale shimmer, the faint disruption in the scenery behind.

When it came to cloak technology the geth hadn't quite mastered it to the degree Kasumi had it seemed. The first shot disrupted the field, causing the larger geth to snap back into focus. He noticed the shotgun in its grip and charged forward, at the range they were at a single shot would be fatal to Tali or Kasumi. With his armor he had at least a fifty fifty shot.

Geth and human impacted with a resounding crash, Shepard's bulk knocking both of them down but leaving him in the unenviable position being in a hand to hand fight with a machine that didn't feel pain. The blow from the butt of the synthetic's gun made his head spin but he quickly recovered, grabbing the shotgun and forcing it upwards with one hand while jamming the Carnifex against the thing's torso and emptying the weapon. The single glowing optic died.

A few seconds later it was all over as he got to his feet. A dozen fallen geth lay sparking in the room or at the doorways. He glanced over at Tali.

"You ever remember them cloaking before?"

She shook her head, kneeling down to examine the one he'd destroyed. "No. None of the ones we encountered on Haestrom at least, but we'd heard rumors. I don't understand how this could happen, this isn't just some collection of geth parts. It's a fully assembled, highly advanced platform."

"Whew. You were right, tough little tin cans," Kasumi said.

"We'll figure it out later. Keep moving, there have to be more left and I'd rather not all of them come find us at once," Shepard said.

He retrieved the shotgun, inserting a new magazine and holstering his pistol. The Alarei was definitely in bad shape. The saw at least half a dozen more quarian bodies. He let Tali check for life signs, but from the wounds and way that they were laying he knew the result. People, even unconscious people, didn't lay like that. Finally after a few minutes of checking rooms they came upon an area with a number of geth parts on examine beds.

"This... this part of a repair drone I sent back to father," Tali whispered, touching it hesitantly.

"It's only a piece, no way it could have activated."

"I know, I took every precaution... but I just can't help but wonder if I missed something. If this is all my fault..."

"It's not. I know you. And we're even looking at the evidence, this thing isn't operational. We just need to find proof that the things you sent back were deactivated," Shepard said.

"There's nothing here to do that, though," she sighed. Moving to a computer near the wall she touched a button, then another. "But this terminal is still operational. Maybe we can find out what they were doing here."

Most of the data was corrupted, but a few research logs remained. A quarian appeared, speaking to the screen. There was no sign of recognition from Tali so he could only assume it wasn't her father. The scientist's voice was clinic and clear.

"Rael'Zorah told us to bypass the security protocols. It would take too long otherwise. But we're making great progress, if all indications are correct we could have a viable prototype within a year..."

"What were they doing here?" Kasumi asked.

"I... I can't tell, exactly. Something to do with infiltrating geth networks... viruses, maybe? It's usually pointless to hack geth, they overwrite the corrupted code within seconds... was he trying to find a way?" Tali said, as much to herself as in response to the thief's question.

Shepard glanced at the rough collection of geth parts. "Obviously parts of the ship still work. We just have to see what else we can find."

Despite their rather hectic welcome it was becoming apparent that the geth weren't totally prepared for his team. The resistance after the initial encounter was sporadic, merely a delay rather than a real threat. Two platforms attempted to ambush them in one of the tighter corridors only to find the steady pounding of fire from Shepard's shotgun keeping them pinned long enough for his two compatriots to close the distance and neutralize them.

Each functioning terminal gave them a little more information as they proceeded. Another room, another terminal. Another partial recording.

"They're free, oh keelah. I'm sorry... I'm so sorry! Jonah, be strong for daddy. Mommy loves you!"

The woman's frantic voice was cut off in a burst of static, leaving Shepard with an unpleasant feeling in his very core. The sound of someone's voice when they knew the end was coming was enough to chill the bones. Everything they wanted to say, things they hadn't thought of until that moment, all trying to fit in the a single breath, that final moment.

"Tali, it looks like they were... experimenting with active geth," he said carefully. "Geth that got out of control."

"I just don't know, Shepard. The pieces I sent... they were inactive. But if they were putting them back together then... then my father was doing something terrible."

"Your father would experiment on sapients?"

She shook her head. "No... I mean, it was just bits and pieces. Not aware, just machines..."

"These are fully assembled geth we're dealing with here," he said. "If the data we've found is right he was trying to find a way to hack their systems that prevented them from restoring from backups."

"So what if he did?" she snapped suddenly. "They drove us from our homeworld!"

Shepard was surprised by the sudden anger, and even as he responded he regretted the words. "Tali, your people tried to exterminate them."

"I didn't exterminate anyone! And now we fly around in ships without a home, hated by the galaxy for our mistake. Because of the geth I'm stuck in this damn suit! Every time you smell a flower you're doing something I can't. I can't even... even kiss someone without the chance of dying! Just a visor and a suit, keeping everyone away," she said, each word a little quieter than the last until her voice was barely audible by the end.

"Sorry, its not exactly a good topic at moment," he apologized. In hindsight he should have seen, every moment that they hadn't found her father she had grown more agitated and now she was faced with the mounting truth that he'd been involved in terrible experiments. Any other time he might have asked that despite it all if she'd agree to experimenting on a sentient species to solve the quarians' problems, but this wasn't the time to examine her feelings on homeworlds and the geth.

"Let's... just go, my father... he must still be here somewhere. H-He can explain," the quarian said, pushing past him.

Kasumi moved next to him as they both followed, speaking quietly. "She can't take much more of this, Shep. It's like a house of horrors in here. First her own people betray her, now her dad?"

"I know," he sighed.

They were nearing the bridge, there wasn't much of the ship left to search. The fighting had been fierce in this area, the walls were blacked by explosions and a few of the doors were twisted to the point that they'd have to be cut open to gain access to the areas beyond. The final door leading to the next level slid open laboriously. A quarian man was laying on the floor at the foot of the steps leading to the command deck.

"F-father?" Tali's voice cracked.

He heard Kasumi whisper. "Oh no..."

Shepard closed his eyes for a moment and sighed, motioning for Kasumi watch the exit before stepping closer. In his mind he had known that this was going to be how it ended, but that part of him that still hoped for better things had held on. Tali fell to her knees, hands checking her father's prone form, shaking him.

"No, no, no," she repeated. "You always have a plan. M-Masked life signs... an onboard stasis program, maybe. You... you wouldn't... just die like this. You wouldn't leave me to clean up your mess."

He could hear her voice become more choked, shoulders shaking as her world came crumbling down around her. It felt like someone was squeezing his heart in an iron grip as the pure helplessness echoed through Tali's voice modulator.

"Tali..."

Without even thinking he knelt next to her and slipped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her away. Tali didn't even resist, turning to him suddenly and wrapped her arms around his waist. Putting his other arm around her waist he held her close, her slim form wracked with emotion as she pressed against him desperately.

"Damn it... damn it all," she cried.

"It's okay, Tali... it'll be okay," Shepard told her, unable to think of anything else. He gently rubbed her back, just letting her hold on. It felt like she was afraid that she'd just blow away if she let go.

"I'm sorry," she whispered into his shoulder. "I... I couldn't believe... and yelled at you... for helping me..."

"You have nothing to be sorry for, Tali," he told her gently, tightening the embrace for a brief second. Thoughts of propriety had left long ago, he was running just on instinct at this point, doing what felt right. "I'm here, I'm not going anywhere."

Slowly she released her grip, pulling away. "Maybe he... he left a message, knowing I'd come."

He nodded, letting her go. Nimble digits activated his omni-tool, causing a holograph to spring to life. It was Rael'Zorah.

"Tali, if you're seeing this than I am dead. The geth have gone active and there isn't much time. You must get to the hub on the bridge and destroy it, this will stop their VI processes from forming new neural links and disable any remaining on the ship," her father's image said. "Han'Gerrel and Daro'Xen must get this information before-"

The recording cut off as the man's image seemed to be turning to flee. Shepard could only feel disappointment and anger that in his final moments Rael'Zorah hadn't even been able to tell his daughter the words she needed to hear, instead still worrying about the Fleet and giving orders. Some might have admired the dedication to his duty, but he couldn't, not when he could still hear the pain in Tali's voice.

"All I wanted was a father who would take the sick time to let his daughter see his face without a mask," she whispered.

Shepard took her hands, slowly guiding the engineer to her feet. His words were more generous than his feelings. "He did the best he could, at least he told us what we need to do. I'm sorry, Tali, I wish it was more."

"I don't know what's worse... thinking that he never really cared, or that he did and that this was the only way he could show it," she said. Her hands finally slipped from his, hesitantly, nervously. Finally she looked up and met his gaze. "It doesn't matter. I cared and I'm here. And I mean to finish this."

The bravado might have been forced, but he was glad to hear it. She was strong, stronger than she probably knew. "Then let's go put an end to it."

Kasumi nodded to him as she passed, giving Tali's shoulder a gentle squeeze. He checked the magazine on his shotgun and led the way up the stairs, determined to do whatever he could to set things right. The door to the bridge opened to reveal half a dozen geth standing around a terminal, one of them the towering form of a geth prime. Damn Rael'Zorah.

Apparently they had the door sensors linked to an alert. Within a second of their opening all the geth had spun to face them and the room erupted into a storm of fire. He simply held down the trigger on the shotgun feeling it buck in his hands like a wild animal, spraying the geth with flak. Tali had summoned her drone and was standing next to the entrance, her shotgun blasts more precise. She wasn't even taking cover, just squeezing the trigger as fast as she could.

The geth prime leveled it's heavy machine gun in her direction only to suddenly stagger as Shepard hurled the shotgun into its head hard enough to send sparks flying. He quickly yanked both of his other weapons free and stalked forward, firing into the prime. There wasn't much cover to start with, and with Tali in her current state she would be left exposed if the geth's attention turned back to her.

He felt the faint pulse as his shields shattered, the next rounds slamming into his chest with full force and staggering him, but thankfully his armor held. The geth prime fell to a knee and then finally collapsed under the sheer weight of fire. Another round glanced off his shoulder, spinning him slightly. He brought up the Locust and fired off a burst that punched right through the offending platform's optics.

Kasumi appeared behind the other geth trooper, pouring a long burst of fire into its back at point blank range. The final geth on the bridge fell, leaving him to breath a sigh of relief. He winced. Definitely going to be bruised in the morning.

"Everyone okay? Tali?"

"I'm fine. I just..."

"Don't, we all made it," Shepard stopped her.

The three of them approached the console and the hub that sat on the ground before it, interlaced with the ships systems and acting as the central control for all geth on board the ship. Without a word Tali raised the barrel of her shotgun and fired, obliterating the offending piece of technology in a single shot.

She then opened her omni-tool, activating the ship's computer. "The rest of, it's all here..."

Another video log appeared, this time showing three quarians working. One of them was Rael'Zorah. He was giving orders to the other two.

"We have enough to assemble two more for the network, get them ready to go as soon as possible."

One of the others turned. "We could add exponentially more if Tali'Zorah would send back more complete units."

"No," Rael stated, voice firm. "I will not have Tali exposed to any political blow back. Bypass the safety protocols if need be, but work with what you have and do it quickly. I promised my daughter I would build her a house on the homeworld, I intend to keep that promise."

The recording ended. Shepard looked to Tali, watching her stare at the now blank monitor. Nothing needed to be said, it might not have been perfect but it was the best the man had been able to do. In his own way, he had cared. She removed an OSD from the ship's console.

"Tali, this is the evidence we need. The Alarei is secure, we should get back to the Rayya before they decided to write us off," he said finally.

"We can't... you can't give them this evidence, Shepard."

"What? This is what will clear your name, it proves that you had nothing to do with what went on here!"

"But don't you see? What he did here? If we give this evidence to the Admiralty Board... they won't have a choice. They'll condemn him for what he did."

"Your father made his choices, Tali. You have to worry about your own life now," he said quietly.

"You don't understand. He will become a monster, a story told to unruly children as a warning... they'll strike his name from the roster of every ship he ever served on, from the scrolls, everything. It... it will be like he never existed, everything he did for the Fleet for all these years... gone."

He wanted to object, to tell her that it didn't matter, that she mattered. But he didn't. Shepard heard what wasn't said. That if everything Rael'Zorah had done was wiped from the records then it had truly meant nothing. All the times he had chosen his duty over his daughter would have been wasted. Stepping up he took the OSD from her grasp.

"Tali, are you sure?"

Her eyes were wide, shining through the purple haze of her visor. "Please, Shepard. I can't stop you, but I'm begging you, please... don't let my father become a monster in the eyes of our people."

"I've never given up yet, I won't now. I'll find a way, data or not," Shepard said, crushing the OSD in his palm.

* * *

Shepard had half expected to find the shuttle gone when they returned, but the pilot had stayed, just as ordered. The ride back to the Rayya seemed to last forever. He kept glancing at Tali, sitting there with her hands in her lap, looking down. It seemed as if she was trying to accept her inevitable exile, her shoulders slack, tone dejected whenever she spoke. Kasumi was sitting next to her, arm around her shoulders and chattering quietly, mostly to ward off the otherwise oppressive silence.

When they docked and stepped out, he could already hear the sound of voices coming from the antechamber down the hall. The enhanced speakers made it all too clear.

"We need to face facts, there has been no word. There is no reason to believe that Tali'Zorah survived," Korris' voice echoed.

"It has only been an few hours, we need to trust Shepard and Tali'Zorah's abilities."

Han'Gerrel's voice was resigned. "Our marines barely lasted five minutes, Shala. Call it."

"Good. I recommend that we vote to exile Tali'Zorah posthumously," Koris said. There was a faint sound of shock from the crowd and Gerrel sounded horrified.

"What?"

Shepard felt a low growl start deep in his chest. All of this and they couldn't wait to even check on whether the mission was a success. If he'd needed any further proof that Tali was nearly a tool to be used and thrown away in a political agenda this would have been more than enough. Politicians were the same everywhere, it seemed. They played with peoples lives far their better and dared to pass judgement on them. Stalking into the chamber, Tali and Kasumi flanking him, he heard a faint murmur of surprise go up from the crowd.

"Sorry we're late," Tali snapped. It was laced with acid, but at least it was an emotional response, a little of the smart ass young engineer he knew. He smiled faintly and stepped up to the platform before the Board.

"You certainly didn't waste much time declaring us dead, Admirals," he said, voice laced with contempt. "Your ship has been retaken, thanks to Tali."

"Our apologies, Shepard," Han'Gerrel said. He turned to look at Koris before continuing. "Your success in retaking the Alarei was... unexpected. Did you find anything on the Alarei that could clarify what happened?"

Koris followed up quickly. "Yes, like evidence that would prove your claims of innocence? While we appreciate your assistance to the Fleet, succeeding on a dangerous mission does not change the charges against Tali'Zorah. Her loyalty was never in question, only her judgment."

"I am afraid Admiral Koris is correct. Do you have any evidence to submit to this court, Captain Shepard?" Shala asked.

"No, I have no new evidence-"

"Then we should proceed to the result that we already known is inevitable," Xen interrupted. "This has been drawn out too long."

So dismissive, so easy to destroy someone's life for political gain. Shepard felt his anger rise and abruptly brought his fists down on the railing in front of him with a growl, the metal ringing loudly across the antechamber. He didn't even notice the two faint dents left by his fists.

"Enough!" Shepard yelled. For the first time since the proceedings had begun the room was silent. He jabbed an accusing finger at the Board.

"You dare talk to me about judgment? About evidence? Tali'Zorah vas _Normandy_ helped me defeat Saren and the geth at the Citadel! She retook the Alarei, cleaning up your mistakes! That is all the evidence you should need!"

He paced angrily, waving his hand in a dismissive gesture at the quarians standing in judgment over Tali. "But this isn't about her, it's about the geth."

"This trial has nothing to do-" Zael'Korris began, but was quickly cut off.

"Like hell it doesn't! I look before me and I see a coward, a warmonger, and an opportunist! You don't care about Tali, you care about your own agenda. The one quarian that single-handedly showed the galaxy the value of the quarian people and you have the gall to try her for treason."

He stared at each of the Admirals, meeting their gazes on by one, before throwing up his hands and turning his back, almost as if he was going to walk out. Spinning on his heel he decided he wasn't finished.

"You know what? Fine. Play your games of politics. You say you question her judgment. I trust her with my life, with the lives of my crew. I would give her the very air I breath if she so much as asked! I'll tell you something, something that most humans don't even know. Two years ago I died, sucking for air in the vacuum of space. That is a kind of pain that you cannot even imagine. But if Tali'Zorah vas Normandy looked me in the eyes, asked me to believe her, and told me to walk out an airlock without a helmet? Then I would. Because that is trust that can't be gained with political favors and empty promises!"

Shepard stood defiantly before them. "In the end, it's your decision. But know this. Exile her if you want, but she will always have a home on my ship as long as she wants it. If anyone has a problem with that, then you'll find out just why I can walk into a ship full of geth that chewed up an entire platoon of your marines."

The room was practically in an uproar, numerous quarians on their feet as Shepard stepped down from the platform to stand alongside Tali, turning to face the Board once more. He had let his anger get the best of him, he only hoped it didn't cost Tali everything. Shala was shouting trying to regain some semblance of order. Even as the room quieted slightly, another familiar form pushed through the crowd.

Kal'Reegar stood at the bottom of the platform, gesturing at the dais. "Shepard is right! Tali'Zorah has done more for this fleet than you _gen'ro'sas_ ever have! If you exile her, you might as well go ahead and exile me too."

The marine turned and moved to stand next to Shepard. His helmet turned slightly, voice low. "Hope you've got room for another quarian, Shepard."

"For you, Kal, definitely," he said, giving the man an appreciative nod.

Another voice carried over the din. "Me too!"

"Veetor?" Tali said, clearly surprised.

"Tali saved me on Freedom's Progress. I would never had made it back if not for her! S-So if she's going... then... then so am I!" the man said. His voice was still high pitched and nervous, but when they'd found him on colony Shepard would never have expected him to have the courage to do what he just had. A quarian woman was standing next to him, a hand on his arm.

"Order!" Shala said. "Is the Board prepared to render a judgement?"

Han'Gerrel immediately opened his omni-tool and a moment later Daro'Xen did the same. Koris seemed to be contemplating before finally following suit. Shala examined the screen before her and finally spoke.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. In light of your extensive record of service to the quarian people, we do not find sufficient evidence to convict you of the charges of treason. Captain Shepard, we thank you for representing one of our people with such dedication."

Shepard raised his chin defiantly and then glanced to Tali. "With all do respect, Admiral, wasn't defending one of your people. I was defending one of mine."

"I can see that, Captain," Shala responded, raising her hands a final time. "This conclave is officially ended. Keelah se'lai."

"Keelah se'lai!"

The crowd was already dissolving into smaller pockets of swiftly talking quarians. Kal had even managed to melt away without him noticing, while Tali seemed to be in shock, finally turning her head to look at him. "I... I can't believe..."

He merely stepped back as he noticed Shala'Raan out of the corner of his vision. She quickly moved up and embraced Tali tightly before turning towards him. She nodded approvingly.

"I had faith in you, Captain Shepard. I am glad to see it was not misplaced."

"So am I," he said.

"Auntie Raan, I need to go thank Kal and Veetor... what they did was amazing," Tali said.

"Of course, my dear," Shala said, her voice amused. "She is a special girl, so much potential. Her mother would be so proud to see what she has become."

Shepard nodded. "I would like to think so. She deserves so much more than what she's been given."

"I think she has found more than you think," Shala said cryptically. "After this trial you are her_ hesh'alan_ now, Shepard. Her captain. Only a direct order from this Board can contradict you in anything regarding her. She is also your responsibility. Treat her well."

"I'll do everything in my power to protect her," he said, looking at her back as she spoke to Reegar and Veetor, speaking half to himself.

"I know you will. Keelah se'lai, Captain Shepard."

After Shala had moved away he was about to follow Tali when he found the Rayya's captain before him. The man extended a hand to him and he returned the gesture, grasping it firmly.

"You did a great thing, Shepard," Kar'Danna said.

"It was a close thing, closer than I would have liked."

"Maybe less than you think. Either way, Tali'Zorah has chosen her _hesh'alan_ well. It was my honor to be her Captain for most of her life. It gives me great pleasure to know that she now serves with better," the man said.

Kar'Danna's voice took on a more solemn tone. "May you stand between your crew and harm as you lead them through the empty quarters between the stars. Keelah se'lai."

"Keelah se'lai," he repeated.

As the captain moved away he turned to find Tali. She was standing with Reegar, Veetor, and the other quarian woman he'd seen standing next to Veetor. As he approached Reegar gave him a casual salute.

"I was just thanking them, what they risked," Tali explained. He noticed the quarian that stood next to Veetor had a symbol on her suit that he recognized, medical. She must have been his nurse, but the way their hands kept brushing together made the spectre smile.

"Apparently all Veetor needed was a pretty girl to motivate him," he said, nodding at the man. Both of them shuffled their feet nervously.

"It was the least I could do, if not for you and Tali'Zorah I'd still be back there... with the monsters," he shuddered. "I'm sorry, Tali. I'm happy that you're not being exiled, but I think I've had my fill of crowds today."

"Thank you again, Veetor."

The female quarian led Veetor away, towards one of the other doors. Kal'Reegar cocked his helmet and looked between himself and Tali. "Hell of a speech, Shepard. Noticed you didn't present the evidence you found on the Alarei."

"We didn't mention any evidence, Kal," Tali said.

"Noticed that too, ma'am."

"What now, Reegar? Since it looks like you're not going to be joining up, I'm sure they've got something for you to do," Shepard asked.

He shrugged. "Sounds like escorting more scientists, looking for this dark matter stuff. After Haestrom, though, I've got more leeway. More soldiers, bigger guns. Won't make the same mistake twice. Other than that, business as usual. Politicians argue, marines go where we're told. I don't ask questions, I just shoot things."

"Take care of yourself out there, Kal."

"I will, and you take care of her. Same goes for you, ma'am," the marine said, pointing at her.

"Kal, you know you can just call me Tali," she said.

If one could truly hear a smile, it was in definitely Reegar's voice. He saluted Shepard once more. "I'll work on that, ma'am."

They had a few brief conversations with the other admirals, with both Koris and Gerrel being surprisingly apologetic. Daro'Xen maintained her same cool indifference. During this time Kasumi had drifted between the various knots of chattering quarians before finally heading back to the ship. Tali lingered for awhile, speaking to Shala before the two of the embraced once more and she joined him at the entrance to the gardens.

"I still can't believe how this turned out," she said, looking at the now empty dais. "I've never had anyone speak like that on my behalf. Especially after... everything."

"Tali..." he began gently. "About your father. I'm sorry. What he did, what you had to do... I didn't do this, any of this for him. I did it for you. You deserve better."

Her silver eyes looked at him, head cocked faintly to the side. When she spoke it was with a tone that he hadn't really heard before. "I got better, Shepard. I got you."

The two of them stood for a moment, no words between them. Shepard could feel something, his hand sliding up Tali's upper arm seemingly of its own accord, and rather than shy away she seemed to lean into it. If she had been a human woman his instincts probably would have overridden his common sense and pulled her closer. Finally he spoke.

"Your old captain... he told me an old captain's prayer. I intend to do my best to live up to it, to that faith in me."

"I know you will," Tali said, her voice becoming mischievous. "How could you not? I mean, I don't think I've ever heard anyone yell at the Admiralty Board before, and especially not like that. I guess by now I should be used to you doing things no one else will, though."

"Heh, I guess I did shout a bit."

"A little, but I think they needed it. Besides, it's kind of fun watching you shout," she said.

Shepard smiled behind his helmet, gesturing towards the airlock at the end of the hall. "Are you ready to go home, Miss vas Normandy?"

"I am... Captain."


	19. Chapter 18

Tali sat on small couch in the port observation bay, watching as the Normandy slowly pulled away from the Migrant Fleet while sipping at a sterilized drink she'd found tucked away in the bar. She smiled behind her visor. Joker could have made a single maneuver and aligned for FTL... either he or her Captain had decided to take it slow, guessing that she would be watching.

Her captain, her _hesh'alan_. It felt odd to roll the words around in her mind, but deep down it had always been the case since he'd brought her aboard. The time on the Normandy had left a deep impression on her, even to the point that at the end of her Pilgrimage she had considered staying after sending the geth data back to the Fleet. Her sense of obligation to her father and the Fleet had stopped her but the decision had still left her watery-eyed many nights in her sleeper pod. Shepard's death had rendered the question moot.

But now after it all he really was her captain, recognized by quarian law. She was 'vas Normandy' now. As much as the pain of what she had lost aboard the Alaeri cut through her, she couldn't help but think that at least some good had come of the entire mess. Her thoughts were interrupted by Kasumi's voice next to her.

"It's kind of beautiful, like thousands of silvery shells glittering on a dark sea," the thief said, looking out at the ships drifting slowly through space.

Tali nodded. "It is. I thought this was the last time I'd ever see it. That I'd be Tali'Zorah vas Neda."

"Neda?"

"It means 'nothing'," she said quietly. "When we're exiled we are considered to no longer exist by the Fleet. We're stricken from the records of our birthship and the ship we served on as adults."

Kasumi sat down next to her. "Yea, but that didn't happen."

"I know... I just still can't believe it. After we found my... my father I had just accepted that it was going to happen and I couldn't do anything about it," Tali said, voice quavering slightly. The wound was still fresh, but it didn't hurt as much as she thought it would.

"Tsk tsk, that's what you get for doubting Shep. I only joined up recently and even I've figured out that when he gets going it's like trying to stop a windstorm with fan," the human grinned and gave her a pat on the knee.

"I can't ever thank him enough for that," she said, looking out the window. The ship gave a faint shudder as the core activated, the stars outside blue-shifting as they accelerated.

"Dunno, you could tell him that you're in love with 'em," Kasumi suggested.

The quarian nearly choked on the drink she had been sipping, thankfully controlling herself at the last minute lest she make a mess inside her helmet. It wasn't exactly dangerous but was definitely inconvenient if she had to clean the thing. She turned her head to look at the thief who was trying to suppress laughter.

"I'm... but... it's not like that. He..."

The thief eased back and shook her head.

"Come on, Tali. Half the time when you come visit you're talking about Shepard. And remember, I sneak all over this ship, I've seen the two of you chatting in the mess hall, and the way your eyes follow him. Hell, I had to almost whack that Kelly girl in the head to keep her from blurting it out to him."

"Kelly said... was going to say?" she stammered. Tali shook her head vigorously, the words spilling out. "He's just helped me so much. Besides, even if I was then it wouldn't matter. Shepard is just... I'm just part of his crew, he cares about all his crew."

"I saw that speech Shepard gave earlier. That wasn't the kind of display you get from someone that is just doing his duty to his crew," the thief told her, reaching out to squeeze her three fingered hand.

"He can't realize what he said... about air, we never talked about that," she whispered.

"What about air?"

"N-nothing. I need to get to engineering, there's too much to do. We wasted so much time already on this side trip," Tali said. Her mind was bouncing around frantically once more, trying to reconcile Kasumi's words with everything else she'd been through today.

"I'll talk to you later, Kasumi. And thanks, for being there for me too..."

She quickly made her way out the door and towards the elevator, feeling hot inside her suit. This wasn't something she could be thinking about. It didn't matter what Kasumi had said, Shepard was a foolish girl's fantasy, nothing more. He couldn't feel anything for a silly girl that wasn't even the same race. One that he couldn't touch.

Behind her Kasumi lounged back on the couch and shook her head, a small smile spreading across her pale features.

* * *

"Back on course for the Citadel, Commander," Joker confirmed. "ETA twenty nine hours."

"Good. I'll shoot Anderson a message so he knows we're coming," Shepard said. He had changed out his armor, leaving it with Jacob this time rather than in his quarters. Once he'd gotten it off he'd realized the three deep gouges in the chest plate from when his shields had failed during that final push on the Alarei. Much more penetration and he'd have been enjoying a collapsed lung.

Joker glanced over his shoulder. "Wanted to say awesome job telling those bucketheads where to stick it, Commander. And I say bucketheads with all due respect. You really gave'em hell, though."

"Wait a minute, Joker. Did you have EDI hack into my helmet feed?"

"I would not tap your communications without authorization, Commander Shepard," the AI said. If he hadn't known better he'd have thought it sounded offended.

"Nope, but I sure would," Garrus' voice rasped behind him. "Besides, it's not really hacking when I know your authorization codes. Really should change those occasionally, Boss."

"I'd give you some sort of lecture on operational protocol but we both know how much good that would do," Shepard replied.

"See, you do learn. Guess I owe Wrex fifty creds whenever we run into him again," the turian said, mandibles wiggling in mirth.

"Glad to see you're in such good spirits."

"Not every day I get to see a bunch of politicians put in their place. You should try that with the Council next time," Garrus said and motioned for Shepard to follow him as he headed towards the elevator. "Come on, I wanted to talk you about something, though."

He arched an eyebrow curiously at the turian but go no reply, simply a shrug, so he followed. A quick trip down and across mess hall found them in the main battery that Garrus had adopted as his own, a small cot occupied one side while Shepard took a seat in a makeshift chair of ammo crates on the opposite wall.

Garrus paced, the mirth gone from his expression. Finally he stopped and leaned against the console, watching Shepard carefully.

"I found a lead on Sidonis."

Shepard kept his expression neutral. He knew that the loss of his team was something that still nagged at Garrus, but the turian seemed to have been dealing with it in the past weeks. He nodded.

"Go on."

"One of my contacts on the Citadel said that there's a guy that specializes in helping people 'disappear'. Goes by the name Fade," Garrus explained. "Word filtered through that he was helping a really paranoid turian that matched Sidonis' description."

"So we find Fade, get him to turn over on Sidonis, and then?" he asked.

Garrus growled. "I put a bullet in Sidonis' head."

"Garrus, are you sure that's where you want to take this? You don't know why he betrayed you... what if it wasn't even him?"

"There are nine unmarked graves for the rest of my team, Shepard. They all died, he disappeared and ran," the turian said. "I think that is evidence enough."

"I'm just saying that maybe you should talk to him before you go executing him," he suggested.

Garrus waved a hand dismissively. "Talking won't solve this problem, Shepard. You're the one that taught me that sometimes people need killing, that when the system fails it falls to people like us to do what needs to be done."

"Maybe so, but it's not the only way. I kill when I have to."

"And I owe it to my team to put that bastard in the ground," the turian growled. "I thought you'd understand, Shepard. You can help me or I'll do this one my own."

He stood and grabbed Garrus by the shoulders, fixing him with a level stare. "It's not a question, Garrus. You've had my back since the start. I'll be there to do what needs to be done. My opinion won't change that."

Garrus' stance relaxed slightly and he nodded. "Thanks, Boss."

"Get whatever info you have, when we hit the Citadel I'll go brief Anderson you can get started on the trail. I'll bring Thane along, I get the feeling he has some useful contacts. Just think about what I said, Garrus."

Shepard turned and left the former C-Sec officer to his thoughts, the door hissing shut behind him. He sighed heavily as the elevator ascended towards his quarters, a frown creasing his face. 'People like us'.

When they had been tracking down Dr. Heart, the salarian that had been cloning organs inside homeless test subjects to self to the highest bidder, he had been so fed up with red tape and politics. Garrus had looked to him for leadership and he'd given it, telling him to deliver justice with the barrel of a gun if it couldn't be rendered with the rule of law. He still believed in the necessity of that kind of individual justice at times, but it didn't change the fact that one word from him had changed Garrus from a cop to an execution in the space of a heartbeat.

The good mood he'd felt after hearing the relief in Tali's voice after the trial quickly evaporated as he was reminded of the mistakes of the past. It was only in that moment of retrospect that he realized something else. The work Tali's father had done was dealing with their thought processes and systems. Much like the detailed information he had give Tali to help her complete her Pilgrimage, probably the very data that Rael'Zorah had based his research on.

Shepard stepped into his cabin and sat down at the terminal there. So many things to do. He still needed to check on Tali, check with Miranda on supplies they'd need for upgrades to the ship. He was intent on catching up one messages and paperwork, but instead found himself sitting in silence, staring at the still empty fish tank that adorned his wall. Intellectually Shepard knew of the lives he'd saved, differences he'd made.

But at the end of the day he couldn't help but wonder if his legacy to the galaxy was going to be a list of the people in his life that he'd turned into killers.

* * *

The glass on Shepard's desk was empty when he dressed the next morning, but the bottle of alcohol was still half filled with amber liquid. His first drink had gone down quickly, like a familiar friend, and a second had followed it soon after, trying to chase away the thoughts that ran through his head. For a brief moment he had almost given into the temptation and poured a third, desperately grasping for the only solace he'd found and cursing his own stupidity at the same time. Only the brief memory of the incident at the bar on Illium had stopped him.

The spectre wasn't sure which he hated more, the gnawing feelings of doubt and depression, or the fact that even when he pushed them aside and felt himself for a little while they always seemed to spring up again like a predator laying in wait. But he would be damned if he'd let it drag him farther down, the memory of the anger and disappointment in Tali's voice when she'd slapped him back in the bar pushing to the surface.

Instead Shepard had forced himself to push the glass away and then focused on the mundane nature of some of the ship's tasks. Inventory reports and repair orders in long lists, carefully organized by Miranda. As rocky as their relationship had been he had to admit the woman was a much better organizer than he was.

He was still tired when he woke, but it was better than the alternative. They would be at the Citadel in a few hours and there were still things he needed to do, including check on his damaged armor. It could wait, however, for him to make a trip to engineering.

Tali had been in far better spirits after the trial, but she was still a woman that had lost her father, no matter what their relationship had been over the years. As much as he tried to force himself to think of her as just another friend, he still worried even as his mind played tug of war between common sense and the memories of how she'd felt pressed against him, kneeling on the deck of the Alarei.

When the door to engineering opened the first thing he heard was a loud clang of metal on metal, followed by a familiar voice cursing. Shepard quickened his stride for a moment on the chance that something was wrong but slowed when he saw Tali standing with her back to him, alternating between her omni-tool and console. He cleared his throat as he approached.

"Tali?"

"Come on, you little_ bosh'tet_!" she hissed before spinning on her heel at the sound of his greeting, voice becoming sheepish. "Oh! Shepard... sorry, I have a bit of a fever and I'm taking it out on the poor drive core."

"A fever?" he asked, concerned. "What are you doing down here if you're sick? How did you even get sick?"

"I-It's nothing," Tali replied. "I just had a suit breach when we were on the Alarei... on the the bridge and I didn't seal it down quickly enough. Just a scratch really, but it let something get in."

He flashed back to the brief but hectic fire fight, Tali not even taking cover as she fired into the geth, anger written in every muscle, every pull of the trigger. Shepard frowned and was about to demand she go see Chakwas when she held up her hands to forestall his comments.

"If every little breach killed us the quarian race would have died out long ago. And besides it's not like I'm actually sick, just an allergic reaction. I explained this to you before, assuming you didn't forget," she said, a faint note of teasing in her voice.

He couldn't help but smile.

"You know I haven't. You have allergic reactions to foreign viruses and bacteria because of how your immune systems evolved, and because of so many generations aboard ships your immune system has become so weak that it overreacts to any pathogen, giving you symptoms like a human would get if they actually got sick. I get the basics right?"

She nodded. "Pretty much, I think you might know more about us than most humans in the galaxy at this point, Shepard."

"Guess I had a good teacher," he said with a smirk.

"What did you need, anyways? Before I distracted you with more information about my people?" Tali asked, changing the subject.

Shepard stepped a little closer and to the side to give them at least the illusion of privacy. Ken and Gabby were at their usual stations, idly chattering between themselves. His tone was lower this time.

"I actually just wanted to check on you," he said. "Yesterday was... crazy to say the least. You don't have to be down here if you need some time, especially if you're sick."

"No, I'd rather be doing something," Tali replied. Her hands seemed to have found their way to her waist, lacing together in a way he'd learned long ago was a nervous habit when she wasn't sure about something.

"Shepard I wanted to say more yesterday, but I was just too overwhelmed by everything that happened," she continued. "What you did... the things you said. No one has ever spoken for me... stood up for me like that. I can't tell you how much-"

"Tali, what I said up there was the truth, every word," he interrupted gently.

The engineer ducked her head, staring at the deck plating for a moment before speaking again. "Shepard, one of the things you said, t-that you'd trust me with the... the air you breath, did you mean it?"

"Of course," he answered without hesitation. A half-second later a light went on in his head. "I'm guessing I just stumbled over another item of quarian culture, huh? I didn't offend you did I?"

"No!" she said quickly. Tali's fingers seemed to be a writhing knot that could barely be followed.

"No, the opposite. The most significant sign up trust two quarians can do is to link their suit environment. It makes us sick for a week or so while we adapt, but it's the most important gesture of trust and acceptance we can perform," she explained more slowly. "I've never trusted anyone enough to do that, I mean, no quarians. That is... you know."

He smiled and reached out to gently touch her shoulder. "You know I'd link environments with you in a heartbeat, you don't have to prove anything to me. I might not have known the significance when I said it, but I still mean it. I do trust you with my life."

"Oh keelah. It's just that... I mean, the tradition also usually signifies the desire for... umm intimacy between partners," Tali stammered. "That's not right. I-It doesn't have to mean that... I know you-humans wouldn't be... interested, keelah how did we even get on this subject. I-I shouldn't be saying..."

His mouth had gone dry as Tali haltingly explained what linking suits really meant, the tone in her voice changing and making something jump in his chest. Shepard was suddenly acutely aware of her arm under his hand, the texture of her environment suit, the faint warm of her body heat seeping through it. His brain was trying to interpret if she was saying what Shepard thought she was, but his mouth was speaking before his mind had processed the information.

"And if I was interested?" he asked, voice low and thick.

Tali's head snapped up as if he had shot her, he could feel her muscles tense beneath his hand. Silver eyes wide behind the smokey purple of her visor. "Really? I didn't... I... you never..."

"Tali..." he tried, now at a loss for words himself.

"No, I mean... oh, I should... I should go," Tali said suddenly, noticing her omni-tool flashing faintly. "The core is still out of alignment..."

With astonishing speed the young quarian had slipped from his grasp and out the door, leaving him stunned in her wake. Shepard noticed the other two engineers giving him quizzical looks. He followed out the door in time to see her disappear below decks. What had he done? He put his head in his hands for a moment and sighed, walking out back into the main corridor.

He'd never been good with... those sorts of things. It was one thing to know exactly what you were doing, it was another to just act like it and go with the flow. The latter was generally the best he could do. Now he'd gotten his wires crossed, let his own desires let him read too much into a simple statement by a nervous young woman that now probably thought he was some crazy pervert.

"Fuck," Shepard snarled, slamming his left hand into the bulkhead in frustration. It was an act he instantly regretted as the edge of the steel left his knuckles cut and bloodied.

"Commander?" a calm voiced asked from behind him. He turned to see Samara standing there, giving him a puzzled look. "Is there a problem?"

"Yes... no. Just a fool being a fool, Samara," he said. "What are you doing down here? Not a lot to do."

"I was heading to the main cargo bay. I understand you will not be requiring my assistance while on the Citadel and wished to practice my biotics in an area where I can get proper use out of my abilities."

"Ah, well, makes sense. Sorry for keeping you on the bench, but what we'll be doing this time isn't really your speciality," Shepard told her.

"I understand. We must acknowledge both our strengths and weaknesses to survive in this world," the justicar said.

"Yea, I think I should have done a little more of that," he said ruefully. "Enjoy your training."

Samara inclined her head slightly and continued on her way, while he stepped into the elevator and sighed, leaning back and resting his head on the cool metal wall. Part of him wanted to follow her into lower decks, but he didn't. She was probably embarrassed enough as it was, with her idiot 'captain' speaking before thinking. Shepard looked down and flexed his hand gingerly. Stupid.

He stepped onto the CIC and headed for the armory, entering to find Jacob with his armor on the center table. The soldier seemed to be examining the new damage it had acquired. Shepard walked to the opposite side of the table.

"Status?" he asked.

"Status is you're lucky as hell, Commander. You must have been within ten meters with no shields when these guys hit you," Jacob replied, tapping a tool on the trio of gouges. "Not exactly the best positioning in the world."

"Just doing what needed to be done," he replied curtly. "Can you fix it?"

The dark skinned man gave him a raised eyebrow but shrugged it off. "I think so, at least mostly. I can patch the armor underneath and reinforce the damaged areas, the surface is one smooth piece, though. So until we get somewhere I can replace the whole plate you'll have some mementos."

"I can live with that. We'll be docking at the Citadel in a few hours. Make sure you get Miranda a list of any supplies we're running low on while we're there."

"Understood. Armor will be ready by the time you dock," the man said. "And ah, Commander? You're bleeding on my table a bit, might want to step down to medbay and have Chakwas bandage the hand."

"Hrm? It's nothing. Just an stupid mistake," Shepard sighed. "I'll be back for the armor when we're ready to dock."

He left the man to his work. There were things to be done. Always a mission to accomplish.

* * *

Jacob was as good as his word, the armor patched and fully functional by the time they had docked. While he went to meet with Anderson he sent to Thane and Garrus to see what information they could find on the contact on the Citadel that was supposedly involved in helping interested people 'disappear'. It took less than an hour for his meeting with Anderson to end, leaving him walking towards the Zakera Ward.

Their conversation had made it clear that the Alliance wasn't even going to give him the tacit support that the Council had offered. As far as they were concerned he was still listed as KIA, if they reactivated his status while he served aboard a Cerberus vessel then he'd be considered AWOL and possibly even in collusion with an hostile organization. So much for gratitude.

Anderson had been able to give him a few leads, however. Dry docks that the Alliance Corsairs utilized, meaning they would do good work, keep quiet about it, and could be trusted to have tight security. Cerberus' bankroll and whatever funds he could pull together would have to be enough. It was an odd feeling, really. His authority as a spectre was only as good as the Council's good graces, in effect he could probably use it as a one time 'get out of jail free' card before they revoked it. The Alliance considered him dead. For the first time since he was eighteen he had no actual rank.

He found Garrus and Thane at the C-sec station speaking with Captain Bailey. The grizzled officer greeted him with a friendly handshake and a brief summary.

"I was just telling your friends here that this guy named Fade that you're looking for has been a real thorn in our side. It's like he knows our systems... or has access to them, I don't know which is worst. I know the rumor is he's done business out of a warehouse a couple of levels down."

"No luck catching him?" Shepard asked.

"From what Bailey has told us, the guy has an ear to the ground. C-Sec makes any noise and he's long gone," Garrus explained. "But we don't exactly file reports, so no warning if we come knocking."

"If you can take him down you'll be doing me a big damn favor," Bailey said.

"I have heard of this Fade," Thane interjected. "He has only recently become a major player, but some of my last... jobs involved individuals that were attempting to use his services."

"Let's go pay him a visit, then. Appreciate the help again, Bailey," he said.

"Someone willing to do something about the things they see is a rare thing around here, Shepard. If I can help that along, I will."

They exchanged pleasantries for another few moments before heading for the level Baily had indicated. Zakera Ward was bustling as usual, a fairly even mix of races all chattering and doing business. As they walked Garrus glanced over at him and grunted.

"What?" he asked.

The turian smirked. "Nothing. Guessing the meeting with Anderson didn't go as well as you hoped. You look like you're in a worse mood than I am."

"We're on our own, Garrus. Council still has their heads in the sand, Alliance is going to ignore that I even exist. The day has just kind of went down hill from the start," he sighed.

"Well cheer up, if things go like they usually do people will be shooting at us soon."

"True."

Thane's response was deadpan. "You two have an interesting definition of improvement."

"Just keep hanging around us, it'll start to make sense. The trouble Shepard attracts makes you realize after awhile that if people are trying to shoot you then at least they're being honest," the turian responded.

It didn't take long to locate the warehouse in question. In an area that was a constant buzz of activity, its entrance was suspiciously quiet aside from an obnoxiously bleating tupari machine trying to solicit anyone within a hundred meter radius. The three of them stood, eyeing the door for a moment.

"Do we just walk in?" Shepard asked.

Thane shrugged. "It has been my experience that in a business where no one uses their true names, the appearance of belonging is far more important than the truth of it."

"So we're..." Garrus trailed off.

"Winging it," he confirmed.

"Humans," the turian muttered, shaking his head.

They activated the door controls and stepped inside. It was a smaller warehouse, probably a stop over point for local supplies for stores in the Wards. Only half the overhead lighting was illuminated, casting the room in shadows that did little to hide the two large krogans leaning against the wall. From behind one of the stacks of crates a volus stepped into the view.

"Fade? Not quite what I was expecting," Shepard said.

The short, round alien waved a hand dismissively. "Which of you wants to disappear?"

Garrus stepped forward, fixing the volus with a cold stare. "I'm more interested in you making someone reappear."

"That's ahh... not a service that we offer," he answered. Apparently realizing something was amiss the volus began to edge back slowly, glancing over his shoulder at the two bodyguards as Garrus drew his pistol.

"Maybe you should expand your services..." the turian growled.

The volus looked back again at the two krogans. "W-What are you waiting for you idiots? Shoot them?"

Shepard drew his pistol in one smooth motion and fired, the round catching the first krogan in the throat. It only took a split second for Thane to follow suit, three quick shots taking the other in his equally unarmored throat. The two heavily armored forms slumped forward, leaving the contact glancing nervously between the three armed men before him.

"Let's try this again," Garrus suggested.

"I'm not Fade!" the volus suddenly confessed. "I just work for him. I don't know anything!"

"Hmm, apparently your original assumption was correct," Thane said.

"We need to find Fade, you need to walk out of this room, I think we can come to an arrangement," Shepard said.

"Sure... sure! He works out of an old factory complex on level nineteen, lots of Blue Suns mercenaries down there these days," the contact hastily explained. "He'll be there, he's paranoid, doesn't like to leave..."

"That's good. If he's not then I'll be coming back to find you in his place," Garrus said, turning to leave.

"Oh... good," the volus sighed.

Garrus moved with a purpose out the door, heading towards one of the rapid transit systems. He swung open the door of the car and slid into the drivers seat, motioning for them to follow.

"Come on, I know where he's talking about. It's been abandoned since before the attack of the Citadel even took place, makes sense no one would run across him there," he said.

Shepard nodded in response, taking the passenger seat while Thane jumped in the rear. Garrus gunned the engine and soon they were howling through the airspace above the Citadel's cityscape. While they were in transit he cleared the pistol's magazine and slotted in a fresh one, wondering exactly what to do when they finally found this Fade. He could see eagerness in his friend's eyes, like a predator on the hunt. He wasn't in the best state of mind to be giving advice, frustrated and tired, but he could see the turian eagerly running down the same path that left him staring a bottle at night.

It didn't take long for them to arrive, the industrial buildings looking oddly out of place after having only seen the graceful architecture of the presidium and the simple but clean lines of the markets and wards. Garrus landed the aircar on a vacant pad, the three of them quickly piling out. As they approached two Blue Suns soldiers exited with another man behind, his face twisted up in an unpleasant grimace. He looked familiar somehow.

"Harkin?" Garrus growled, the name clicking in his own head.

"What the hell? Vakarian? Shepard? I thought you were dead..." Harkin said, stopping suddenly.

"Let me guess, you're Fade?" Shepard asked. "Apparently just being a bad cop wasn't enough, had to just completely switch sides?"

"Shouldn't be a surprise, really. I need one piece of information, Harkin. Then you get to walk out of here," Garrus said.

"Fuck you both. Kill them!" he barked, running back inside. The two surprised mercenaries raised their guns, have been lost in the exchange, only to find themselves far too slow. Thane sent them both flying off the platform with a single surge of biotic power.

"I forget how convenient having biotic abilities around is," Shepard muttered.

"They do have their advantages," the drell replied without missing a beat, drawing his pistol. "I suggest we pursue. We wouldn't want to give him time to slip away."

"Oh, he's not getting away," Garrus said and quickly advanced, his Vindicator held low. They breached the door, finding more Blue Suns waiting for them along with a healthy contingent of security mechs. Shepard never did understand the reliance on the things. The loss of manpower after the Eden Prime war was one thing, but the standard security mechs possessed such basic tactical ability as to be laughable.

He switched to the Locust, putting precise bursts of fire into the mechs' chests while Thane and Garrus quickly dealt with the mercenaries. A pair of them made the mistake of taking cover behind a shipping container, only to be knocked off the platform when Thane slammed their cover into them with a surge of biotic energy.

"Harkin never was too bright," Garrus said as the stormed another room of equally unprepared soldiers and tactically inept machines.

"He is a manipulator, not a warrior. A man that doesn't wish to dirty his hands, but is perfectly willing to let others do it for him," Thane added.

It seemed their drell assassin was a good addition to the team, he had seen the man's skill and agility on the Collector vessel, and now he seemed to be melding easily into their small team. He wasn't quite as talkative as Garrus and Shepard, but his silent precision was appreciated. It didn't take them long to clear their way through most of the factory, finally ending at a loading area and control center. Numerous computer terminals had been set up and spliced into the network, a stack of forged ID cards sitting in a pile, credit chits and empty food wrappers. On impulse he grabbed up the ID cards and stuck them into one of his belt pouches, one never knew when things could be useful later.

"Harkin has been a busy boy," the turian mused, tapping at the terminal for a moment.

Movement caught his eye outside the window, making him curse. "Damn, Garrus, time to move."

"What?"

"I said move!" Shepard barked and pulled him out of the room as heavy machine gun rounds split the through the glass and rang of the metal walls.

"What in the hell?" Garrus growled.

Thane gestured in the direction of the fire from his place in cover. "Two YMIR heavy combat mechs at the opposite end of the loading area, probably linked to the crane control box above. Looks like the Blue Suns have given up on him, but half a dozen LOKI type smaller mechs also on approach."

"Okay, that is a whole lot of firepower. Here's the plan," Shepard said and slung the heavy rifle down from his back, extending its barrel and dialing up the charge to key the rounds to help tear through the YMIR's heavy armor.

"Thane, you take the right, pop the LOKI's with your rifle. Garrus, flank left, keep pumping a rounds into the YMIRs to keep their attention while I get set up, then do your thing and hit them with a shield overload. Once I see the flash I'll take the shot and try to put one right through the control core."

The two men gave their assent and peeled off, weapons fire erupting once more as Shepard climbed one of the stacks of shipping crates, getting set up behind one and bracing his rifle. He didn't want to take the shot too early and attract attention before he was ready. One good rocket and his makeshift sniper nest was going to be a very unpleasant place to be, so he was forced to wait impatiently as his team circled the enemy mechs.

Two of the LOKIs were down in rapid succession. A burst of fire from Garrus garnered the the attention of the heavier mechs again, followed by a heavy crate smashing into one of them, the glow of biotics giving away its source. Shepard smirked as the uncomplicated programming of the machines had their attention swaying back and forth. Then he saw the tell tale blue flash as energy surged through one of the YMIR's shield systems.

Shepard gently tugged his crosshair over the machine's armored neck and tightened the stock against his shoulder, letting out a slow breath, and finally squeezing the trigger. The heavy round slammed home perfectly, the powerful machine jerking spasmodically as energy surged through its frame.

"Everybody down!"

Thane and Garrus ran for opposite sides of the room and dove into cover just as the YMIR exploded violently. The smaller mechs around it was obliterated immediately while its partner staggered under the blast, shields failing and armor melted. He snapped off two quick shots that finished the job the explosion had started. The YMIR collapsed with a resounding crash of metal on metal.

He collapsed the rifle and stowed it once more, jumping down from his raised position and drawing his pistol. The mechs were all down and inactive, with Garrus and Thane emerging from cover a few seconds later.

"Well, that's always fun. Shall we go find Harkin before he get any other bright ideas?" Garrus asked, jerking his head towards the control booth. He nodded and made a few quick hand motions, jogging up the stairs and slapping the door control, entering with weapon raised.

Harkin was indeed inside, trying to activate some other defense, when Shepard opened the door. His head spun to face him, a look of contempt on his features like a permanent mask.

"Close but not close enough, spectre," he spat and bolted towards the other door only to slam straight into an unmoving wall of armored turian. The human staggered back and fell to the floor, scrambling to get his feet under him.

"Harkin, old buddy," Garrus said, his voice cold. "Let's chat."

"H-Hey... Garrus, what do you need? I'm sure we can work something out," Harkin stammered. He slowly backed up until he hit the wall, hands up in a gesture of surrender.

"I bet we can. I only need one thing, to find someone. A turian named Sidonis, word is you helped him disappear."

"I can't give up my clients' names, that's just bad for business," the man said.

Garrus' knee slammed into his gut, the sound of the wind rushing out of Harkin's lungs was almost audible. The turian's hands yanked the other former C-sec officer back up to look him in the eyes.

"Now, Sidonis. What do you know?"

"Yea, yea," Harkin replied painfully. "I know who he is, I was helping him disappear, new identity and everything. He's still on the station."

"Good. Set up a meeting," Garrus demanded.

"Look, I-"

Another blow knocked the human to the floor and Garrus planted a boot on his neck. "You know what else is bad for business? Being dead. Now either you set up a meeting or I crush your scrawny, lying neck."

Shepard stepped forward but didn't stop him. He knew the anger that was coursing through Garrus' veins now, but he didn't think he would go that far, not yet. All that mattered was that Harkin thought he would. His fingers were wrapped around the turian's armored blue foot as he nodded desperately.

"I'll... ugh... I'll do it! Just let me up!" he choked out.

"Wise choice."

Harkin stumbled over to a terminal and typing in a few commands. His voice was strained, the speaker on the other line muffled, but he seemed to be doing what was asked. After a few minutes of conversation he disconnected the line and turned back to the three of them.

"There, it's done. One hour, in front of the Dark Star where there are lots of people. Told him I'd send an agent because there was a problem with his paperwork we needed to clear up. Now what, can I get out of here?"

There was a faint hum of a pistol deploying, the micro-accelerator fields powering up. Garrus looked at the man, disdain written on every plate and groove of his face. "You're a criminal now, Harkin. Scum. I should just put a bullet in you and leave you here to rot."

"That's not your style, Garrus, and we both know it."

"My 'style' changed a great deal in the past two years," the turian snapped and leveled the gun at Harkin's head. The man's eyes went wide and his skin pale.

"Garrus," Shepard interrupted. "We know who he is, so will C-Sec. He won't make it a day before they have him locked up now that they have the ID. He's not worth it."

The was a moment of tenseness in the air before Garrus finally jerked the gun skyward. Relief flooded Harkin's face for a split second before the turian's forehead smashed into his nose, the vicious headbutt sending him tumbling to the floor unconcious.

Shepard arched an eyebrow.

"What? I didn't kill him," Garrus responded.

"Good enough for me. Let's go."

He and Thane were standing next to the aircar as Garrus climbed up onto the catwalk, heading towards a suitable sniping position. Sidonis would be there soon, Shepard would draw him out and Garrus would take the shot when he was clear. The drell looked at him, a question evident on his smoothly scaled features before he even spoke.

"Is this the best course of action?"

Shepard sighed. "Good men died, betrayed by someone they trusted. I can't think of many more things deserving of death."

"Maybe. But I have taken many lives, watched final moments through the scope of a rifle. It is an experience all three of us have shared. The difference is mine were targets, not combatants on a battlefield," Thane said. "It is a different thing all together to make a conscious decision to kill a man in cold blood."

"I know," he said.

It was time. He strolled down the walk way casually, making himself easily visible as he scanned the crowd. It didn't take him long to spot the turian sitting on a bench, eyes darting nervously, hands taping his knees to a rhythm far faster than any music playing. He caught the man's eye and gestured his head towards the railing overlooking the rest of the wards.

"Alright, let's get this over with," the turian said as he approached.

"Sidonis?" he confirmed.

The turian looked around and hissed. "Don't use that name!"

"I have him, just get clear and I'll take the shot," Garrus said into his ear. "Bastard should be paranoid."

In a split second decision, Shepard placed a hand on Sidonis' shoulder and spoke quickly. "Listen to me. You have one chance, one chance only. I remove my arm and step away, a bullet goes through your brain before you can even react."

"What the hell is this?" Sidonis asked, trying to pull away.

"Dammit, Shepard. What the hell are you doing?"

He ignored them both, tightening his grip. "Do. Not. Move. You remember Archangel, right? Well he's up there now, rifle in hand, with you in his sights. I'm the only reason you're not dead on the floor. So tell me quickly, why? Otherwise I step aside and this ends even more quickly."

"Vakarian?" the turian whispered, his mandibles dropping. "Guess I should have known that he wasn't dead."

"He might not be, but the rest of his team, your team, is," he said coolly.

"You think I don't know that? See their faces every night that I try to sleep?" Sidonis said, turning his head away, looking into the distance. "They got to me and I broke. Said that unless I did what they told me they'd find me, torture me. And that they wouldn't stop there. Find everyone I associated with and do the same thing. Friends, family. People I had a drink with. The asari dancer at Afterlife that... that was friendly with me."

"Excuses, he could have come to me. Now he wants to act like it wasn't his fault?" Garrus asked. His voice was deep, angry. "Get out of the way, Shepard!"

Sidonis hung his head. "You should just let him take the shot. They said if I went back to the rest of the squad they'd assumed that I had 'broken' our agreement. Now I wish I had... food tastes like nothing. Sleep never comes. Just faces, eyes looking at me when I close my eyes."

Shepard closed his eyes for a moment and then turned to look at where Garrus was hiding, shaking his head. He knew the turian could see him through the scope. "Take a shot at what, Garrus? Look at him. He's already dead in every way that matters, you'll just be doing him a favor by finishing the job."

He stepped aside, he'd done all he could. For his part Sidonis didn't run, just standing there, looking out at nothing. A sigh was audible through the comm.

"Tell him... tell him to go."

"Get out of here, Sidonis. You've got a second chance. Make the most of it," Shepard said.

The other turian looked at him in surprise. "Tell Garrus... that I'm sorry. That I won't stop until I find some way to make a difference. Some kind of amends."

He didn't reply, instead just walking away as Sidonis did the same. When he made it back to the aircar Garrus was there, leaning against the hood, rifle in his arms. He looked at Shepard, an odd mix of emotions playing across his usually difficult to read face.

"I could have taken the shot."

"You could have," he agreed.

"It just... it didn't feel right. I was so angry, I just wanted him to die for what he did. But I hesitated," Garrus said, shaking his head.

Shepard leaned against the hood next to his friend. "You say it like it's a bad thing, Garrus. It just means that you've still got something inside. That you're more interested in justice than in just vengeance."

"Don't they deserve more than that?"

"I don't know. In the end they followed you because they wanted to bring some justice and good to a place that didn't have any. They died for that, but they accomplished that goal in doing so," Shepard said. "Maybe one more man dead doesn't matter as much as the one that's still alive."

"You know, what I said before, you were the one that taught me to go outside the law..." the turian trailed off.

He nodded. "I did. And maybe I was right, maybe I was wrong. All I know is that I've done nothing but deal in death all my life. Maybe if someone else can be better... that will mean something."

"Hrmph. Just... give me some time, I'll figure it out," Garrus said. "Now let's get back to the Normandy. Hopefully Miranda has finished her shopping. I'm ready to be somewhere less civilized."

"Agreed."

* * *

The supply run hadn't quite been completed, as it turned out, but Miranda had promised him it would be within the next few hours. In the meantime he had made his way back to his quarters, stowed his armor and showered, and was once again sitting on his couch looking at some report that was likely meaningless in reality. He couldn't really focus as it was.

Shepard had tried to go down to engineering to speak with Tali, explain his screw up, but she hadn't been there. Gabby had told him she'd been busy, getting the ship ready for possible upgrades required more than just a few tweaks in engineering after all. But it still felt like she was avoiding him.

He sighed, tossing the datapad aside and closing his eyes. Even if she had been there, what could he have told her? That he didn't mean it? Or that he did mean it but he wouldn't want to make things awkward and that she could just pretend it never happened? N7 training had never prepared him for this. It had taught him how to survive. How to take a shot, track a target, fight with a knife, disable a sentry. Not how to tell an alien girl that whenever she was near he felt a strange combination of different things that all made him feel a little more alive.

The door chimed once. Blinking he stood and turned towards the door.

"Enter."

A familiar form stepped inside, clad in her dark environment suit and purple cloth that seemed to wrap around her body in an unbroken weave. Her voice was low, a hint of her earlier hesitation lingering.

"Shepard? Do you have a moment to... to talk?"


	20. Chapter 19

Watching Tali slowly shuffle hear feet at the threshold of his quarters Shepard immediately realized he hadn't yet come up with an appropriate way to apologize for being an idiot, and now the person he needed to apologize to had show up. He quickly grabbed the datapad from the table and deactivated it.

"For you? Always, Tali. I, ah, actually was trying to find you earlier," Shepard said, motioning for her to enter.

"I know, Gabby told me you came down to engineering. I was just... there were things that needed to be done and I wanted my fever to die down," she replied.

Tali took the step down into the lower part of the room, moving to stand near the edge of the couch, fidgeting. The was a moment of awkward silence before Shepard finally sighed and moved to stand just in front of the engineer, rubbing the back of his neck nervously.

"Tali, about earlier..."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just... the fever and I wasn't thinking rationally. I was being stupid... and selfish," she interrupted him. Whatever he had been about to say stopped as his train of thought completely jumped its tracks at her words.

"Tali you're the most unselfish person I know. If anything you spend too much time thinking about the Fleet and everyone else and not enough about yourself," he said, automatically correcting her self-depreciation.

She shook her head. "For humans, maybe, but quarians... we have to think of other people, always. If we don't think about the needs of the whole crew then people could get hurt. Even killed."

"Somehow we end up with you educating me on quarians again," Shepard chuckled.

Her reply was quiet, subdued. "You were always the only one who was willing to listen to me ramble."

"I listened because I enjoyed talking to you, not because I was humoring you, Tali," he replied and sighed. His fingertips practically itched with the urge to reach out to her in those moments of self-doubt he occasionally saw. The spectre could never understand how she could be so sure of her own skills, from engineering to combat, yet turn around and still think of herself as only a secondary concern sometimes.

His hand clenched reflexively. "Tali, what I wanted to say before was that I'm sorry if I offended you."

"Offended me?" the quarian asked, her gaze managing to look perplexed even through the smokey glass that separated her face from view.

"With what I said... I..." he trailed off and blew out a breath in frustration. "Sorry, I'm just not good at this. I don't want you to feel awkward around me just because I... expressed my interest. I shouldn't have said anything, it's not appropriate..."

"Offended? I'm not... oh keelah," Tali said, fingers interlaced once more. "I was just so... surprised to hear you say that and with the fever and everything that happened I panicked."

It was not a good day for the commander's thought processes as the conversation continued to diverge from the path he'd planned out in his head. He could almost feel his heart trying to climb out of his throat when he spoke, once more his mouth asking questions before his brain considered the implications.

"Tali, are you saying that you are... interested?"

There was a faint tone of amusement in her voice as she cocked her head upwards to meet his slightly higher gaze. "A young woman gets rescued by a dashing commander that lets her join his crew and then goes off to save the galaxy? How could she possibly develop any interest in him?"

She had stepped closer as she spoke, their gazes locked, but turning her head away and a faint hitch entering her voice. "But... it's selfish, I know it is. You... you deserve to be with someone that can make you happy. I can't do that. No matter... no matter how much I want to. I could get sick, jeopardize the mission."

"And if you weren't jeopardizing anything?" he asked.

"I-If it was just me? I watched you risk everything to save the colonists on Feros when you could have killed them easily," she said, looking up once more. "I watched your face when Kaidan died on Virmire... watched you tear yourself apart when Liara tried to blame you for her own problems. I saw you stand strong against everything because you knew you were doing the right thing. I've watched you for so long... but I never imagined you would ever see past... this."

Tali's words became fainter as she spoke, finally gesturing to the mask and veil, her salvation and her prison. Any semblance of trying to keep things on track had fled his mind, instead her instinctively reached out and grasped the hand that trailed along the edge of her veil.

"I don't care about a mask, Tali. I care about the woman that has stood by me through everything," he said quietly, wrapping his fingers around her hand.

"I... I understand if... but... oh..." she stammered, clearly replying to his expected response but realizing what he had said. Her eyes were wide behind her visor. "Shepard... but we can't... you can't even be with me. N-Not like Miranda... or... or Kelly... or..."

Her other hand looked lost, unable to occupy itself with its usual partner, so Shepard grasped it too, holding both of her hands between them. "I know that you can't risk taking off your suit, but... I don't want anyone else. It took me too long to figure that out and when I did... I didn't think a quarian girl would ever be interested in a scarred up ex-marine."

Fingers tightened around his own, her voice a little stronger. "We're not so different, humans and quarians, on the old Normandy... I never said anything, and then you died and... I spent weeks just going through the motions. No one on the Flotilla could understand, I just... just kept going, doing my duty to the Fleet. But Shepard it's still not fair... not you you..."

"You talked about unfair? It's unfair that your people are treated like barely second class citizens, that you have to wear this suit because of something your ancestors did," he frowned. "I'm just sorry that I put you through even more pain after... what happened. If you're willing to give me a chance then it's anything but unfair to me."

"But-"

He shook his head, interrupting her by bringing her hand up and placing his lips against the back of it, the familiar scent of leather and oil filling his nose. It wasn't as if he was touching skin, but he knew from previous conversations that at least some tactile feeling translated through the suits receptors. It had to or quarians would likely have went mad in their current state. Tali made an odd little sound followed by a nervous giggle that made him smile.

"Tali, I... I'm not easy to deal with as a friend, much less something more. But if you're willing to give it a chance I'll do everything I can to make this work," he said. In the back of Shepard's mind that old voice howled, telling him that he was being a fool, but he was able to ignore it this time. "It can't be completely unheard of for quarians to have relationships with other races..."

"It's not unheard of, uncommon yes, but still," she replied, a little more confident now that she had a chance to switch back to being a source of information. "There are things... nerve stimulators and such but... I don't want that. I want it to be real. I've never shown my face to anyone since I received my first suit, Shepard. But I want to show you... if I can do it without dying."

At the word 'dying' he tightened his grip on her hands. He hadn't released them since they'd been talking enjoy the novel sensation of her three digits against his own, and Tali hadn't tried to pull away.

"Is that... possible?" he asked. "I don't want to risk your health."

"I can do some research, I.. ahh, heard a few rumors on the Flotilla and did a little digging when I was younger on certain procedures for the clean rooms when quarians choose to mate in Fleet," she replied, breaking eye contact.

He smiled mischievously. "Mask or no, I think you might be blushing, Miss Tali'Zorah."

"Hmph," she muttered but still didn't pull her hands away.

Her head cocked to the side faintly and she spoke once more, could hear emotion in her voice, a slight tremble like he heard on the Alarei when she had cried. "Shepard I... I've never done this before, any of it. You have no idea what you said... what it means to me. But I don't even know what..."

"It means I can do this without worrying that you'll think I'm some crazy human," he replied and pulled her closer, finally releasing her hands only to slip an arm around her waist. Tali stiffened in surprise at first, but then almost immediately relaxed, leaning forward until her visor brushed his shoulder. It didn't take longer for her arms to snake around his waist, squeezing him tightly.

"I think I could learn to like this part," she whispered. "But now what do we do?"

Shepard slowly pulled away and shrugged. He turned and sat down on the couch, sinking into the black leather and pulling his quarian companion down next to him on his left.

"Honestly? I don't really know. Like I said before I'm... ah, not great at this sort of thing, Tali. I'm just winging it and trying not to screw up as I go. For now I think I'll enjoy the fact that you're here."

Sitting next to him Tali seemed to hesitate for a moment before her hands sought out his again, her two hands grasping his one. Their movements were still nervous, unsure. She examined it for a moment and cocked her head, one finger gingerly brushing the fresh scrapes across his knuckles.

"When did this happen?"

He smiled sheepishly. "Got a little... frustrated and... maybe punched a bulkhead."

Silver eyes fixed on his, narrowing. "You _bosh'tet_ why would you do something like that?"

"It was after you ran out of engineering, I thought that I'd made you angry or offended you."

"Oh!" she said in surprise, then sighed. "I should probably go back to engineering... if we want to do those upgrades soon..."

Shepard slid his arm out of her grasp and around her waist, pulling her closer. This was the first time he'd had her this close without his heavy armor between them, just her suit and his civilian clothes. Even with the suit he could feel her warmth, and it interested him to note the texture of the suit was similar almost everywhere, a soft, supple material that felt like a cross between flexible latex and well worn leather.

"I'm your... what was that word, _hesh'alan_, now right? Seems to be a position of authority. So I think I'm going to order you to stay and consult with your captain for awhile. Besides we're almost on third shift, it can wait until tomorrow at least."

"Abusing your authority already?" she asked playfully.

"Finally found something worth using it for," he grinned. "Now if I recall, you promised to tell me about the Rayya one day..."

It didn't take much to get her talking, still sitting there pressed against him, a simple conversation while they both learned how it felt not to have to keep the other at arms length. What would happen later was a question he really couldn't answer, but for that moment Shepard didn't really care. For the first time in a long time something seemed to have gone right in his life... it was something he planned to savour for awhile first.

* * *

Shepard was awoken by EDI's voice.

"Commander Shepard."

He blinked a few times and shook his head, wincing as his neck cracked. At first he was a little disoriented, immediately realizing that he was not in bed before his mind caught up. Weight against him, soft and warm. Leather. Left arm numb. He hadn't even dreamt.

His faced cracked into what was likely an idiotic smirk that he was lucky Garrus couldn't see when he looked down to see Tali's veiled head against his shoulder, the smooth glass of his visor dark without her eyes behind it to make it glow. It had been over an hour that they had talked the night before, the spectre remembering how her eyes had fluttered behind the visor, leaning further into him as her words had come more slowly.

"What is it, EDI?" he slurred, yawning.

"I would recommend that you come to the cargo bay as soon as is convenient. Justicar Samara and Grunt are presently sparring in the main hold," the AI informed him.

"Why exactly is this a problem?"

"It is not, technically. However, they have been sparring for approximately four hours and seventeen minutes since you have been sleeping. Grunt's aggression levels have apparently continued to increase."

"Ah hell," Shepard muttered. Regretfully he shifted his position, nudging his pleasant burden awake. "Tali..."

"Nuuh," she mumbled.

"C'mon, Tali. Time to wake up."

The quarian shifted, shaking her head slowly as her eyes opened. It apparently took Tali some time to figure out where she was before he felt her stiffen next to him. Her hand pressed against his chest as she tried to stand.

"Oh keelah, Shepard. I must have fallen asleep. I'm sorry!" Tali said quickly.

He chuckled and grabbed her hand, keeping her half kneeling on the couch. "Sorry for what? Tali, you don't have to apologize for being here. After all if you haven't wised up after last night and still want to try this I hope I'm going to see more of you here."

"It's just that... the captain's quarters and... it's your space," she said, her other hand bunching the fabric of his shirt as she gripped it. "And I still want... to be here, whatever it is."

Shepard stood and pulled her up with him, giving her a lopsided smirk. "Good."

"What about the crew?"

"What about them?" he asked.

"Well, ah... if my chrono is right it's been most of third shift that I've been up here and I never went back to engineer," the quarian said sheepishly. "What if they ask what I was doing?"

"Tell them the truth," Shepard suggested. "Unless you don't want to, then just tell them we were going over specifications for the new upgrades or something. We can take this at whatever speed you want."

She nodded. "I just... I don't want any problems if people think we're doing something... inappropriate. I know that you care. I never thought I'd even hear you say those words. That's enough for me."

"Of course," he agreed and squeezed her hand once before letting go. "But if that changes then it's fine. I'm going to be figuring this out as we go too, but I won't be ashamed of it."

"Thank you, Shepard," Tali said quietly.

"EDI?"

"Commander?"

"I'm going to head down to the cargo bay now. If any of the crew enquire about Miss vas Normandy's whereabouts I trust you'll advise them accordingly with the conversation I'm sure you just overheard," he ordered.

"I do not 'eavesdrop', Commander. But should any inquiries be made then I will inform the interested parties that crew duties and assignment questions are to be referred to the commanding officer."

"Thank you, EDI."

He walked towards the elevator, Tali with him as they stepped in. He punched the illuminated four and felt the elevator hum to life, moving down. Each felt it slow at the same time and his hand reached out to grab hers one more time.

"I should get back to engineering, there really is a lot to do," Tali said, her fingers seemingly reluctant to let go as the elevator stopped.

Shepard smiled and brought her hand up to press his lips against the back as he had the night before. "Back on duty. But Tali... for now on I'll make sure EDI has authorization to let you into my cabin. You can stop by any time you want."

"O-Okay," she said and finally pulled away when the doors opened, backing away before quickly turning and heading for engineering. After watching her disappear he hit the button for the main cargo bay and waited.

The door opened, the cargo bay greeting him with a thunderous crash. Shepard stepped out of the elevator and marched quickly towards the sound of the commotion. It didn't take long to locate. Samara was standing in an open area, Grunt a few meters away, shaking his large head and growling as he pulled himself out a pile of empty containers.

He found Kasumi, Garrus, and Jack all sitting atop the Kodiak, watching the tussle. The turian was sitting casually while the other two held onto the edge, leaning forward to watch the action. Glancing up at them he frowned.

"What in the hell is going on here?"

Samara answered, her breathing only slightly quicker than normal. "Grunt observed me exercising my abilities after you left for your task on the Citadel. He felt that my capabilities would make a worthy opponent and thus asked to participate in a sparring session. I believe he intended to, what is the human expression 'Work off some steam'?"

"EDI said you two have been at it for four hours," Shepard said.

"That is correct. Grunt's aggression level seems to have only increased," the justicar said. "We had previously agreed to only hand to hand combat, otherwise there could have been significant damage. I was forced to resort to my biotics after the first hour, however. Grunt is a truly impressive specimen even for a krogan."

He looked back to the observers. "And none of you thought maybe you should stop this?"

Garrus shrugged. "Samara wasn't asking for any help and it was keeping Grunt occupied."

"Yea, don't be a pussy, Shepard. Just a little roughhousing. Besides I've got a fifty credit bet with Kasumi on who's gonna win," Jack interjected.

Grunt charged once more, heavy feet thudding on the deck plating. He noticed the krogan's eyes were slightly unfocused, the massive warrior was in an undirected haze at this point. The asari was able to sidestep gracefully and drop to a knee under Grunt's wild grab, her body surging with biotic energy once more as she enhanced her attacker's own momentum and sent him crashing into the shuttle. The impact was enough to actually make the massive transport shift slightly, forcing Garrus to lean back and grab both of the women to keep them from slipping off their precarious perches.

"Commander my training emphasized all aspects of warfare, including endurance. But eventually I will tire. Do you have any suggestions as to how to resolve this situation without significant harm coming to Grunt?" Samara asked.

"I'd think a centuries old justicar would know you don't reason with krogan, at least not ones that have their blood up," Shepard chuckled. "Garrus, pistol."

The turian looked at him quizzically, hauling a cursing Jack back into a sitting position by her belt, but shrugged and pulled a Predator pistol from his back and tossed it to the spectre. Shepard thumbed the weapon's activator and motioned for Samara to stand aside.

"Grunt!"

A low rumble was the krogan's reply, turning to face Shepard. He bashed his hands together and charged forward once more. Rather than avoiding the massive form, he stepped into the charge and planted his shoulder in Grunt's stomach and grabbed his leg, sending what must have been nearly a quarter ton of krogan warrior over his shoulder and to slam down on his back. His shoulder howled in pain from the impact, but apparently those Cerberus cybernetics paid off.

Grunt was momentarily stunned at his sudden change in position, giving Shepard a chance to turn around and kneel on his chest with all his weight, shoving the barrel of the pistol against the side of his neck. He locked eyes with the krogan and spoke in the best impression of his old drill sergeant that he was able.

"Stand. Down!"

There was a moment of tension, the krogan's body seeming to tremble with pent up energy, lips curling back in a growl, but Shepard didn't back down, keep both the gun and his eyes fixed. Finally Grunt's eyes seemed to snap back into focus and he nodded. The tension in the warrior's body lessened and Shepard removed himself, deactivating the weapon.

"Uhn... Shepard. Itching under my scales, anger in my head, keeps getting worse. But its passed for now. I don't think I have any memories of a human staring down a krogan," Grunt said, rolling over and getting laboriously to his feet.

In retrospect it hadn't been one of his best ideas. He had been riding high and overconfident, it was just as likely that Grunt would have proceeded to break multiple bones before anyone had a chance to help, hand to hand combat with a krogan, especially one of his size, wasn't usually something that ended well for any of species.

"Guess that means you have a memory of your own, then," Shepard said, feeling a faint shudder pass through him as the momentary rush of adrenaline wore off.

"Hah! I guess it does," Grunt rumbled. He began walking towards the elevator, clearly making his way back to the cargo room he'd taken over, as if he hadn't just spent the better part of an evening fighting and getting knocked around.

"I cannot fucking believe it," Jack said, slapping a credit chit down on the Kodiak's hull and jumping down with a loud thud.

Garrus picked up the chit and made it vanish somewhere in his armor. He gave the departing biotic a mock salute, his mandibles quivering in amusement.

"Never bet against Shepard," the turian laughed.

A second later Kasumi followed suit, leaving a chit where she'd been sitting and leaping down with far more grace than Jack had, not making a sound. She drifted over to him with a smirk.

"He bet us that you'd break up the fight before either of them got knocked out. Canny turian, I'd accuse him of fixing the fight by calling you but I hacked his omni-tool so there isn't any way he could have. Oh well, will just have to count it as a lesson learned."

He could only shake his head as the thief walked away, and bring up his omni-tool. The device sprung to life and he activated the comm to the lab on the CIC.

"Mordin."

"Commander?" the salarian replied immediately. He knew the scientist wouldn't be asleep.

"Did your scans of Grunt show anything abnormal in his development? Disease, anything?"

"Negative, Commander. Model of perfect krogan. Fast muscle growth, extreme regenerative capabilities. No genetic defect of any kind. Early morning. Assuming Grunt has caused disturbance. Medical attention needed?"

"That's okay, Mordin. No broken bones, just unanswered questions. EDI said there wasn't anything in the database, Chakwas has nothing, and you were my last shot," Shepard said.

Garrus had made his way down from the shuttle, walking over to catch the end of his conversation with Mordin.

"So what? We just keep him locked in the damn cargo hold? He's going to hurt someone eventually, Boss."

"Nope. Where do you go to find out about krogan, Garrus?" Shepard asked.

"You're kidding. Tell me you're kidding."

His smirk said otherwise as he opened his link to the computer. "EDI, please tell Joker to change course for Tuchanka."

"Understood, Commander," the AI replied.

* * *

Many hours later the Normandy exited the Aralakh mass relay, burning towards the brown looking orb that had given birth to the krogan race. Shepard had already informed Grunt of their destination, with orders to appear in full combat gear to head down to the planet. Not only did he want to get him off the ship, he had also learned something about krogans from his time working with Wrex.

Going to a planet full of them he wanted to but his best foot forward, and for krogans that meant strength. Something told him to bring his best team, and so Garrus and Tali would be at his back when they touched down. They might not have Grunt's size, but it felt right. After some consideration he had also asked Zaeed and Samara to join them, bringing their total to six. Either the sheer number of aliens would provoke an immediate attack or the combination of forceful personalities and fierce reputations would be enough to prevent it.

Sitting at the desk in his cabin, browsing through his terminal trying to clean out at least some of the more extraneous files, Shepard's thoughts kept drifting back to the moment in his quarters. He still didn't quite believe everything that had happened, and as he contemplated the ground team for this latest mission his darker side kept riding him. Asking him if he was sure about taking a certain slim quarian down to a violent, arid world.

This was why there were regulations against relationships aboard a ship. Maybe if the conversation had gone a little differently he could have used that excuse deny his feelings, but now that the door had been opened he couldn't bring himself to close it again. It might have been selfish but he needed to try and make something work that wasn't just a way to succeed on the next mission.

He came across a message that been received recently. Shepard winced as soon as he read the message line. 'From: Hannah Shepard, Captain, SSV Orizaba'. The message was terse, but not as harsh as he had expected. Apparently he had Anderson to thank for that, if what she mentioned about obtaining his new extranet mail address was true.

Shepard sighed and closed the terminal. When this all was over he would have to contact her, but the idea of doing it now just seemed... cruel. Their mission was risky at best, suicidal at worst. If he died again in the process they could just tell her they'd been wrong, that it was a Cerberus impostor and not her son.

He knew they'd be in shuttle range soon. Leaving the now inactive terminal he moved to his locker and went through the ritual of pulling on his armor, but leaving the helmet this time. He didn't want his face hidden by a mask for this, as much as he suspected he'd regret that decision when he reached the surface. Armored once more he made his way to the elevator and waited. It paused on the fourth deck and Tali stepped in, forcing a faint smile to force its way onto his face.

"So... how is engineering?" he asked awkwardly.

"It did not fall apart in my absence, at least. As annoying as Donnelly is he is good at what he does," Tali replied, taking his question in stride. Her tone became questioning. "Are you okay, Shepard? You seem... worried. It's not about-"

"What? No," he said. "I was just going through the messages I have been neglecting. Just ran across one that threw me off a little. It's nothing, really."

It wasn't the complete truth but it was close enough. He could tell that Tali was still uncertain about their day old change in status, and in truth he wasn't much better, but Shepard was going to do his damnedest to pretend otherwise. He could at least protect her from his own confused emotions by showing some confidence.

"Really, I'll be fine," he tried again and reached out to grasp her hand, feeling her return the gesture. Tali nodded and gave his hand a squeeze before relinquishing her hold when the elevator door opened onto the cargo deck.

"If you say so. Lead on, Captain," the quarian said, a smile in her voice.

He chuckled and moved into the cargo bay where the rest of his team already waited. Grunt paced in agitation, but was far from the uncontrolled beast he had been earlier. The rest stood by patiently, checking weapons and armor. Shepard pounded a fist on Grunt's shoulder when he approached.

"You still with us, big guy?"

"Yes. The agitation is still there but I can focus when needed," he responded.

"Good. Load up, people," Shepard ordered.

Within a few minutes the shuttle was loaded and sealed, sailing out of the Normandy's hangar. The krogan had a bench to himself to prevent any possible incidents, while Garrus took the pilots chair. Zaeed had claimed the co-pilot position, leaving the rest of them occupying the other bench. When the ship entered atmosphere it shuddered and bucked.

"Damn, this planet really is a hellhole," Garrus said from the cockpit, fighting against strong winds and trying to follow the navigational information from the ground control computer.

"You know if you weren't up to it, I could flown," he called back.

The turian's response was a sharp bank that left Shepard with one hand tightly gripping the overhead rail and another about Tali's waist to keep her from sliding off the bench. Somehow Samara had managed to shift her weight to remain perfectly poised. Grunt roared in protest as he was jostled, but settled into an amused chuckle the moment he latched onto the rail and steadied himself.

"You big blue _bosh'tet_!" the quarian yelled.

"Turbulence."

Tali snorted. "Of course. Sorry, ah, Shepard. If I'd known Garrus was such an incompetent pilot I would have strapped in."

"My pleasure," he smirked, remembering a time not so long ago that they had been pushed together in cramped quarters. This time he didn't resist the urge he'd had then and let his hand slowly slide across her back before finally letting go. Didn't want to make anyone else suspicious, after all.

Tali arched her back out of reflex before seemingly catching herself and shaking her head. Grunt and Samara seemed oblivious, at least. Finally the rough ride seemed to be coming to an end as the craft slowed. He could feel the ship begin to descend.

"Next stop, sunny Tuchanka," Garrus quipped as the windows darkened. Apparently their landing pad was located underground, out of the harsh sun. The shuttle came to rest a moment later, the door opening with a hiss of escaping air. Shepard was immediately struck but the wave of heat that poured into the shuttle.

"Yea, sunny is the goddam word," Zaeed said. "Place wasn't hot enough so the krogans decided to nuke it until it warmed up abit."

"Okay, keep it together, people," Shepard ordered. "Don't start any fights, but if they do then we'll be the ones that finish it. Understood?"

A chorus of 'Yes' and 'Commander's answered him. The spectre stepped out of the shuttle, seeing Tuchanka in person for the first time. It wasn't a terribly impressive sight, a thin layer of brown dust on most every surface, the light that filtered down harsh and yellow. Rubble was everywhere.

Grunt apparently echoed his thoughts. "This is Tuchanka? It's nothing more than a burning rock of ruins and dust."

Further observation was cut short by the approach of three krogans, the one in the lead seeming to have some authority as the other two followed. Yellow, leathery skin and a dark plate of bone covered his forehead like all krogan he had seen. Sharp eyes looked Shepard up and down, sizing him up.

"You need to present yourself to the clan leader, alien, if you intend to do business here," the krogan addressed them bluntly.

"I'm looking for information. The one in charge seems a good place to start," Shepard said.

The krogan grunted. "You seem to think I was even making a request. Come on, human."

He arched an eyebrow but shrugged, motioning for the others to follow. The guards escorted them through a long set of corridors, only in slightly better condition than the ruins outside. It looked as if the place had once been a well built and organized military base, but it was still a base, just one with large holes where there shouldn't be.

"Either address the clan leader with respect, aliens, or we'll tear you apart," the first krogan said, nostrils flaring as he sniffed the air and looked to Grunt. "Just because you have a krogan with you doesn't earn you anything."

Grunt's rumbling growl echoed down the corridor. "You're welcome to try."

"Let's just keep moving before we start any fights, shall we?" Shepard said sternly.

"Hrmph," the krogan grunted but continued on until they reached a much larger and more open chamber.

Pockets of krogan warriors spoke and argued in different areas, and across the massive room he could see what looked like a line of wheeled tanks in various states of repair. Varren could often be seen lounging at the feet of certain warriors. The center piece of the room that they were being led to seemed to be almost like a dais or throne. One krogan, his armor plates a greenish shade Shepard hadn't seen before, was standing before the stone chair, speaking heatedly, while the seated krogan simply looked bored.

The guard blocked his movement the summit, giving a harsh glare. "You'll wait until the clan leader summons you, human."

Shepard's eyes narrowed as they approached, fixing on the seated krogan. Two of his companions seemed to see it at the same time, the familiar scars trailing up his face, deep red armor plates. He sidestepped the guard and let out a loud laugh.

"You dare-" the guard hissed, reaching for him when a familiar voice boomed, stopping him in his tracks.

"Shepard!"

"Wrex!"

The huge warrior was immediately out of his chair, shoving the other green-tinged krogan with a roar. He rapidly closed the distance between them the two locking arms as Wrex slapped him on the shoulder with enough force to stagger him, but it didn't stop him from returning the gesture.

"Shepard, my friend!" Wrex grinned, a toothy, crocodilian smile that would have unnerved him before the entire adventure aboard the Normandy. "I should have known the void couldn't hold you."

"It's been a long time, Wrex. Too long," he smiled. "It looks like helping me defeat Saren turned out pretty well for you."

"Ha! You made the rise of Urdnot possible. Virmire was a turning point for the krogan, destroying the so called genophage cure freed us from Saren's influence. Gave me the power to rally the clans under Urdnot's banner," he replied, releasing his grip on Shepard's hand and gesturing around him.

"You go too far, Urdnot Wrex. Abandoned many traditions along the way, and now you greet a... human over council with your own people?" the other krogan said, approaching from behind.

Wrex's response was purely krogan, spinning on his heel and delivering a headbutt that knocked the other to the ground. He stood over the fallen krogan, voice harsh and dismissive.

"Speak when spoken to, Uvenk. I'll drag your clan to glory whether you like it or not. And this isn't just some human. This human has a bigger quad than you ever will. It's a sad day when I know this bunch of aliens could kill a clan leader like you Uvenk, and not even be winded," he chuckled, turning his attention back to Shepard and his crew.

"I see you even kept some of the old faces around. Garrus. Heh. Well, half an old face in your case, turian."

"Yea, I love you too, Wrex," Garrus shot back, but the comment had no bite. Despite the marked differences in his crew when the mission had begun, any hostility had been burned away in the hunt for Saren and the fight for survival.

"I see you even kept the quarian around," Wrex laughed. "Still a mean little thing with a shotgun too I bet, huh?"

"Keep calling me 'the quarian' and I'll remind you, Wrex," Tali joked, patting the weapon at her back.

"Ha! That's the girl I remember," the krogan nodded and trudged back over to his makeshift throne, dropping his bulk into it and motioning them to follow. "Looks like you even found yourself a replacement krogan. And an asari, definitely not Liara. Hrmph. Justicar? You collect the oddest types, Shepard. Guess you just have a knack of finding old warriors."

Samara inclined her head slightly. "I am impressed that a krogan recognizes the markings of a justicar."

Once more that toothy grin made an appearance. "Bet I'm as old as you are, asari, if I can still guess your kinds ages. You pick up a thing or two in that kind of time."

"Goddam krogans. Don't know what you did to make one like you this much, Shepard, but must have been damn messy," Zaeed said.

"It was, Massani," Wrex responded. "Like I said, Shepard has a knack for attracting old warriors. So what brings you to Tuchanka, Shepard?"

"I would have come sooner if I'd known you were here, Wrex. But I made the trip because of this krogan. His name is Grunt," he replied, motioning the warrior forward. "He has some kind of... illness, loss of control, agitation. Medical databanks aren't exactly full on information on your people."

Wrex stood once more, approaching Grunt. He was interested to note that Grunt was the only other krogan he'd ever seen that was actually of a size or even slightly larger than Wrex himself. He paced around the tank-born, sniffing the air, before standing in front of him.

"What clan are you, whelp, that didn't teach you what is expected of a krogan? Destroyed?" he asked.

"I have no clan. I was tank-bred by Warlord Okeer. My line is distilled from Kredak, Moro-" Grunt began without any trace of shame. Uvenk had remained silent after his earlier chastisement, but apparently this was enough to make him risk it again.

"You recite warlords but are the offspring of a syringe, not a true krogan."

Grunt growled at the other krogan, spreading his arms wide and raising his chin. "I am pure krogan. You should be in awe."

Wrex ignored the exchange, watching the tank-bred krogan carefully. "Okeer is an old name. A hated one."

"Okeer is dead," Grunt stated.

"Of course he is, you're with Shepard. How could he be anything else?" Wrex replied, laughter rumbling in his chest. "There's nothing wrong with your krogan, Shepard. He's just becoming an adult."

"Wait, you mean it's like... a krogan Pilgrimage?" Tali interrupted.

Wrex shrugged. "Whatever aliens call it, krogan undergo the Right of Passage."

"Too far, Wrex. Your clan my rule, but this... thing is not krogan!" Uvenk declared. He gave Grunt a disgusted look and stormed from the audience area and into one of the surrounding tunnels, eliciting only a brief shrug from Wrex.

"Idiot. You seem krogan enough to me," he said, looking the other krogan up and down. "So what say you, Grunt. If you're with Shepard I give you the opportunity to stand with Urdnot. Anyone that's served with him has earned that right."

The krogan, born of a womb of glass and steel, turned to look out over the ruins of Tuchanka, the milling warriors, scent of ash and blood in the air. He turned and pounding his fist into his palm, nodding.

"It is in my blood. It is what I am for."

"Good boy," Wrex responded, obviously pleased. "Go to Shaman. He'll set you on the path to becoming a man and to earning your place in Clan Urdnot. Follow the path to my left, second floor. Good luck, Whelp."

Grunt nodded once more and immediately stalked off in the direction Wrex had indicated. Now that he had a goal, the younger krogan seem perfectly controlled, directed. No nervous movements or unfocused looks. He glanced over at Wrex.

"Don't worry, no one will mess with him now that you've been seen with me, any of your crew for that matter, so long as you stay in this compound. Shaman will start giving him the basics. Can't believe that idiot Okeer tried to make the perfect krogan and didn't bother to put the information he really needs in his head," Wrex snorted, taking a seat once more.

"Huh, looks like a varren pit over there. Think I'm going to go take a look. Been a damn long time since I bet on a fight," Zaeed muttered and wandered off almost immediately, Samara following. Whether to interfere or protect he wasn't quite sure.

"So what happened to the Normandy, Shepard. Last news reports I heard said the 'Hero of the Citadel' was dead?" Wrex asked.

"Destroyed," he replied, frowning and trying to ignore the memory that instantly arose. "And I was... I didn't get to an escape pod. Wound up spaced."

He saw Garrus and Tali both shift uncomfortably, the turian balling a fist and looking away. Tali edged closer to him but didn't fully close the distance, aware of where they were. It wasn't a conversation he really wanted to have around them, not with the memories it conjured.

"Ah, the joys of a redundant nervous system."

"Humans don't have those, Wrex."

"Oh. That must have hurt like hell, then. But you're alive, standing here and with a new ship, a more powerful one if I'm guessing the right one that's in orbit," the krogan said. "You're one tough son of a bitch, Shepard."

"So I've been told. Garrus, why don't you and Tali go make sure Grunt hasn't killed anyone on the way to this Shaman?" he suggested.

"Gotcha, Boss," the turian replied and headed in the direction Grunt had, Tali following behind. He felt her fingertips briefly touch his elbow as she passed, all the support she could offer in that brief moment but it was still more than he was used to it. It felt strange.

"That bad, huh?"

"What?" he asked, turning his attention back to Wrex.

"You know I didn't get in this position just by bashing skulls in," the warrior said. "We were a tight krant, but those two were always at your back. You'd think I'd kicked over their deathstones way they reacted."

Shepard smiled ruefully. "Always forget behind all the big ugly teeth and muscles you're damned perceptive, Wrex."

"I know, it's brought me great amusement of the centuries. So who was able to take down the Normandy?"

"Collectors. Ship was bigger than any dreadnought, saw through the stealth like it wasn't there and cut through the barriers just as easily. Got most the crew out, even Joker, but I couldn't make it to a pod. Lost good people. Good soldiers. Adams. Pressley."

Wrex lowered his head respectfully for a moment. "Warriors that died in battle, even if an uneven one. They'll be remembered well."

"They will," Shepard agreed.

"When Grunt's Right is over we need to catch up, Shepard. I've been wrapped up here, but the galaxy has changed in the two years you've been gone. So have you," the krogan said cryptically.

"We definitely do. What's this Right involve anyways?"

"You'll have to ask Shaman, that. It's his place. But I'm sure you can guess."

"Violence. Possibly explosions and fire? Just the fun stuff," Shepard said, turning to follow his crew.

Wrex laughed behind him.

"See? Always said you'd make a good krogan, Shepard."


	21. Chapter 20

Shepard walked into another argument between two krogan for the second time in so many minutes. Garrus and Tali stood to one side. They didn't interfere but he could see the tension in their stances. Uvenk, the dissenter from before, was arguing with another and doing his best to ignore Grunt's presence. The one he argued with wasn't quite as large, but he didn't seem to have any intention of backing down. His skin was leathery and scarred, worn in a way that seemed significant even for a denizen of Tuchanka, and when he spoke it was in a firm, gravelly tone.

"You go too far, Gatatog Uvenk."

"Bah! How do we know the beasts will challenge him? They might ignore him as they would a lump of plastic," he growled dismissively.

"They know blood, no matter the womb. Your barking does nothing for your case."

Grunt stepped forward, clearly having had enough of observing the argument.

"I will speak for myself!"

The smaller krogan turned and peered at him, approaching slowly. He sniffed, like a predator hunting its prey or a wild animal identifying one of its own. There was a cunning in the krogan's eyes, shrewd intelligence that many didn't seem to think their kind possessed.

"This is the tank-bred? Looks krogan enough... smells correct as well. Your protests ring hollow, Uvenk," the krogan replied. Clearly this was the shaman Wrex had spoken of.

Shepard frowned as he approached. Apparently even on such a world one couldn't escape the insidious grasp of political scheming, something he was becoming all too familiar with between the Alliance, the Council, and most recently the Migrant Fleet's Admiralty Board. At least here he didn't have to worry about stepping on any toes. It was almost expected.

"Grunt has every right to be here, no matter what this idiot says," he said, moving to stand next to his crewman.

"Ah, there's some fire," the shaman grinned. "And from an alien. The shame this heaps upon those who whine like pups."

"If you wish to stand on ritual, then so be it," Uvenk said, unwilling to give ground despite his tenuous position. "I invoke a denial. My krantt stands against him. He has no one!"

"As much as his mewling annoys me, Uvenk has the right. Who is your krantt, Grunt? Those willing to fight and kill in your name?" the shaman asked.

Shepard took only a brief glance backward, seeing Garrus give him a nod. Tali's only response was to let her hand rest on the pistol at her hip, bringing a smile to his face. It was an odd team, an odd crew. But it was one that worked. He stepped forward, jaw set as he met Uvenk's glare with equal intensity.

"My crew and I stand as Grunt's krantt. Name our enemy and it will be destroyed."

The irate krogan made a dismissive gestured. "You know nothing of strength! My followers are true krogan, not a poor copy followed by aliens!"

The blow was purely on impulse, remembering earlier when Wrex had chastised the weaker krogan. Without pausing to consider he leaned back and slammed the top of his forehead into the heavy plate that covered Uvenk's brow, putting all his weight behind it. While it didn't drop him like Wrex's blow had, it still staggered the krogan, causing him to emit a grunt of surprise and shake his head.

"You... you dare?" he snarled incredulously.

The shaman's reaction was far more amused. "Bah ha ha! I like this human, he understands!"

He could see Uvenk's muscles quiver in anger, almost spitting out his words. "I withdraw my denial. This will be settled elsewhere."

Uvenk shoved his way past him, heading back down. He had definitely just made a new enemy, but it wasn't something that exactly surprised him after the argument he'd witnessed earlier. One way or the other Shepard was going to have earned his ire, either through supporting Wrex or helping Grunt. Now at least was out of the way.

"You have provoked him, human. That's reason enough for me to like you. He and his clan are your problem now. I am Shaman, I will guide Grunt through his Rite," the shaman said, watching the other leave, all the while continuing to rumble with mirth.

"Is he going to be a problem?" Shepard asked, resisting the urge to rub his forehead, instead jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

"He is forbidden to interfere with the Rite of Passage. Will he? During the Rite you must always be able to adapt," Shaman said noncommittally.

"Story of my life. I think we've waited long enough, what does this Rite entail?"

"Keep your impatience in check. Know that Grunt will be tested and you must adapt. A warrior only needs bring two things to the Rite, his courage and his love of battle," the krogan said. "Neither do I suspect is lacking. Urdnot Wrex has spoken of you, Shepard. I look forward to this Rite."

He looked to the large krogan at his side who nodded eagerly at the unasked question. Shepard smiled.

"Then let's do this."

"Very good," Shaman growled, sounding pleased. "The transport that will take us to the site where Grunt will be tested is on the other side of the compound. Await me there."

When they had finally moved away from the other krogans Shepard let his hand slip to his forehead to check and see if everything else still there. At that moment he definitely regretted not wearing the helmet. He glanced over at his large companion and chuckled.

"Your people are very hard-headed, Grunt."

"Yes, but it was worth it to see the look on his face, wasn't it?" Grunt replied, grinning broadly.

"Are you crazy, Shepard?" Tali asked. The quarian had appeared at his side and pulled his hand away, checking his scalp for damage almost immediately. Two fingers brushing across his scalp causing him to wince when she brushed a particular spot. "Headbutting a krogan? Really?"

Garrus' mandibles were twitching almost uncontrollably. "That was... awesome. Can we try that with the Council next time? Oooh... or Udina?"

"I'm fine, Tali," he said quietly. She pulled her fingers away sheepishly and stepped back even as he gave her a reassuring smile. He glanced back at Garrus and shook his head. "You know, I think you can have the next one. I suspect Udina's head might be harder."

"You're probably right. Shall we go find the other two and inform them that they're now part of Grunt's... krantt?" Garrus asked.

"Sounds like a plan," he said, looking over to Grunt. "Ready to show these krogan how it's really done?"

The look in the krogan's eyes was the same that might have appeared on an Alliance marine's at the sight of a beautiful woman or a fresh, real beef steak on shore leave. He slammed his fists together and nodded.

"Oh yes..."

* * *

"So we're part of some goddam krogan bonding ritual now?" Zaeed asked. "Don't suppose they said exactly what we're going to be doing."

Shepard shrugged. After finding Zaeed and Samara they had loaded up in a massive multi-wheeled transport, the boxy machine was three times the size of the old Mako that had been on the previous Normandy. It was also much more heavily armed and armored, acting like a land based battleship. The shaman had called it a Tomkah.

The terrain that rolled by outside was just as desolate as what they had seen coming in. Vast ruins in various states of collapse, the occasional hardy plant life pushing through the cracks while dusty winds howled through the artificial canyons and peaks created by the ruins. All of it was washed out in the same dull yellow light from Tuchanka's harsh star.

"Krogan rituals and beliefs tend to focus on tenacity and strength. Most likely it will involve some sort of prolonged combat or similar martial test to prove the worthiness of one that wished to be accepted into the clan," Samara supplied.

"That's the impression I got from the shaman," Shepard said. "Everyone double check your gear and keep it together, krogan don't mess around. Unless we're in that camp I want weapons ready at all times. I can almost guarantee you this won't be anything less than live combat without any safety measures."

Grunt snorted. "It wouldn't be a worthy test if it was anything else."

As they rode he watched out the small ports, but the view never really changed. It was actually somewhat impressive that the krogan had built this extensive of a city considering their destructive tendencies. He noticed Tali shaking her head as more of the wasteland rolled past.

"What is it?" he asked, glancing outside.

"This planet. The krogan have left it in shambles, damaged the atmosphere, the wildlife, everything," Tali responded. "It just seems like a waste when my people can't even go back to the planet that was ours."

"At least our destruction was our own. Not some machine race we created. We fought to grow stronger," Grunt interjected.

The quarian looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Or maybe you just won't appreciate what you had until you finally destroy it completely."

"The krogan will survive. It is what Okeer made me for, to make sure that the strongest prevailed," Grunt said.

Tali only shrugged, looking out the window once more. If they had been alone he might have tried to continue the discussion that sprung to mind on the Alarei, questioning whether the quarians were too focused on reclaiming their lost world. Just as then, however, this wasn't the time or the place for such things. No, now was the time for focus.

The large vehicle finally came to a halt. It's heavy door ground open, spilling the harsh light into the compartment. He motioned to the door and his team quickly filed out, weapons in hand, to find the shaman already awaiting them. A massive structure towered over even the largest of the other ruins, a tower with this large legs rising high into the sky.

"The Keystone," the shaman explained, following his gaze. "It has withstood all the destruction that has been wrought on our world, by our own hands and by others. It is the essence of the krogan people, strong and unyielding. The Rite of Passage will take place in its shadow, the shadow of the last surface city to fall in the rebellions. Are you prepared?"

Shepard nodded.

"Good, then make your way to the base of the Keystone. There you will find a single control panel. When you wish to begin the trial simply press the button," he continued.

"What, no horn to blow? Or giant drum?" Garrus asked.

The shaman snorted in amusement. "Krogan embrace technology quite eagerly, turian."

"I assume you won't be accompanying us?" Shepard asked.

He shook his head. "No, but I will be administering the Rite. Here, as aliens you are not knowledgeable of our customs, so I see no harm in providing some additional support."

The shaman produced a number of wide bandoleers, each strung with a dozen thermal magazines, tossing one to each of his team. He watched Grunt wrap it around his forearm immediately and secure the straps. Glancing at his own arm he realized they were sized for krogans. Shepard nodded his thanks at the shaman and improvised, securing the ammo belt around his leg, just below the holster for his sidearm, and watched the rest do the same.

"Then let's move out."

Their half dozen picked a way down the ruined slope, heading for the base of the impressive structure. As they walked Shepard made note of the large, worn looking weapon Grunt was carrying. While he might have been distracted of late, Shepard was almost certain he'd never seen that gun in either Grunt's quarters in the cargo bay or in the armory. Considering it was roughly the size of his leg it was noticeable. He quickened his pace to match the krogan's longer gait.

"Grunt, where did you get that?" he asked.

"The gun?" Grunt said, hefting the substantial piece of hardware. "Urdnot Wrex. When you left to get the mercenary and the asari he stopped me. Said it was an old, reliable gun that he hadn't used since his own Rite, but that if I was going to be following you I might need it."

"It's even bigger than my rifle."

Grunt nodded happily. "I know. It's a shotgun, small magazine capacity but Wrex said it would stop a Colossus in its tracks."

"I'd believe it," he said. The barrel was nearly equivalent to a twenty millimeter anti-vehicle cannon, but one that had been chopped down to fit in the large hands of a krogan warrior. He couldn't argue with the destructive potential.

"Said I could keep it if I survived my Rite and joined Clan Urdnot," Grunt continued, glancing over at the commander as they jumped down off a short drop, their impact stirring up a thick cloud of dust. "Also said that 'Shepard's bunch of aliens' made up the best team he'd ever served with, so I'd better impress. High praise from a warlord."

"Wrex was a good ally. Good friend, even," Shepard said. He ran his tongue across his teeth and grimaced, spitting and trying to get the grit out of his mouth fruitlessly.

"No memories from the tank about humans and krogans either. Or turians for that matter, other than killing them. You're full of firsts, Shepard."

They had finally reached the bottom of the hill, one of the Keystone's foundations acting as a wall to the right. Ahead was a more open area that looked like it had been a terraced approach to the Keystone in times long past, but he suspected was now the location of the Rite. As they neared and found the skeleton of a krogan warrior leaning against a wall his suspicious were confirmed.

"I hate wearing a goddam bucket on my head but now I'm start'n to regret leaving it behind," Zaeed growled, wiping his mouth as he experienced the same problem Shepard had earlier. It seemed the wind never stopped blowing on the surface, just changed how hard it blew occasionally.

"Guess I have the advantage for once," Tali said. "Though I suspect it's going to take a great deal of cleaning to get all of the grit out of my suit when we get back to the Normandy."

A few minutes later they were standing on the last level before what amounted to a great stone gate that led to the area beneath the Keystone. At its side was a simple, battered control panel and a single button, just as the shaman had described. The approach to the monument was littered with debris, the stones that made up the ground scored with marks from a variety of different weapons. Wind howled around the remains of the rows of pillars that guiding up the paths towards the Keystone.

"Grunt, you take the left, Zaeed you've got the right. You two are my point men. Samara, keep Grunt covered with your rifle and biotics as need be. Garrus you're going to be covering Zaeed," he ordered, pointing toward two pieces of cover that stood near the flanks of the top level, near each set of stairs.

"What about me? If you think I'm just going to hide in the back..." Tali asked.

"No, you and I are going to be mobile," he assured her, pulling the heavy rifle down from his back. "Grunt and Zaeed are our two strong points, we make sure that neither gets overwhelmed and that nothing tries to get around us. I don't see any obvious ways but I'm not discounting unexpected surprises."

Shepard continued, addressing them as a whole. "Watch your ammo, people. If he's tossing this much at us and calling it extra this is likely to get messy. I don't want to get down to knife fighting anything that lives on this planet. Understood?"

A chorus of agreement met his ears. He looked over to Grunt and gestured to the button.

"Do the honors and then take your position."

The krogan smiled, a toothy grin that mirrored the one he'd seen from Wrex earlier. Grunt slapped his fist against the button and jogged over to his position, kneeling behind a piece of fallen stone and resting his shotgun on it. Loudspeakers that Shepard hadn't noticed before, placed high above to keep them out of the line of fire, gave a burst of static and then came to life.

"First the krogan conquered Tuchanka and mastered a natural world that only we are fit to hold," the voice boomed.

He hefted his rifle and scanned their surroundings, not seeing anything at first. Then movement caught his eye near the perimeter. Garrus called out the contact just before he did.

"Varren! Two groups, east and west," the turian barked. "Engaging."

Garrus' rifle cracked and one of the predators tumbled to the ground. He crouched, setting his rifle down at his feet and drawing the SMG at his back, gesturing for Tali to take the right while he moved to support Grunt on the left.

"Thin them out as they approach, we don't want any making it into biting range, they can take a chunk out of you even through armor," he said.

Samara and Zaeed's rifles responded with short, controlled bursts, while Garrus continued to take careful shots, each time bringing another one down. He fired off a burst from his own weapon, taking the legs out from another and he noticed Tali to his right having switched to her pistol. He couldn't help but marvel at the sheer amount of varren, there had to be over two dozen in each pack, all rushing at them with slavering mouths of pointed teeth. Half them had fallen by the time each pack reached the stairs leading up to their level, but that still left far too many.

"Okay, no more restraint! When they crest the top of the stairs hit'em with everything you've got," Shepard barked.

A surge of scaled flesh came into view and the line erupted in fire, causing the charging varren to run into a wall of projectiles that cut them down like so much grain. One almost made it to their cover, only to explode into a shower of fine gore when Grunt lifted his new shotgun and fired.

"Ha! Common beasts," Grunt said, patting his new weapon with pride. "Wrex was not exaggerating this weapon's firepower. I cannot wait to test it on something worthy."

"I've never been a huge fan of varren, but this seems like kind of a slaughter. Like some rich kids hunting preserve," Garrus said.

"I'm sure there's more in store," Shepard said. "Eyes open."

They didn't have long to wait. The speakers overhead crackled once more and he felt ground underfoot shudder once as a loud boom echoed even over the howling wind.

"Masters of our world, the krogan were then lifted to the stars to fight the fears of a galaxy! We fought an enemy only we could chase to their lairs!"

"The rachni?" Samara said. Somehow she managed to look calm and collected despite the wind, the dust, and the heat. It was slightly maddening. "Impossible, their race has long passed from this existence."

Shepard looked confused himself, but didn't bother to correct the justicar. He wasn't quite sure how her Code would deal with the revelation that he had given new life to a race that had once been the scourge of the galaxy. And he couldn't believe that the krogan would actually have somehow managed to keep pet rachni all this time.

A loud buzzing filled his ears and large forms rose over the horizon, large flying creatures that hovered near them and began to spit out large numbers of smaller, chitinous forms. They looked almost like bright red crabs but massing as much as Grunt. He snatched up his rifle once more and dropped the scope over one of them.

"What in the hell are those?" he asked.

"Klixen," Zaeed responded immediately. "Angry bugs, not too bright but very territorial. They must have stirred them up and then planted some sort of pheromone lure for them."

"Great. Rachni substitutes."

"Far less dangerous, in reality, but still a threat," Samara said. Garrus snapped off a shot and suddenly there was a gout of fire amongst the scuttling horde.

"Oh, did I mention that they're goddam fire-spitting angry bugs that have a tendency to explode when you shoot'em?" the old mercenary added.

"Just great. Okay, no holding back, I want those things toasted quick! Only thing worse than a pissed off animal that closes to tooth and claw range is one that blows up if you shoot it. They get close aim to disable and fall back," he ordered.

"Hrm... I see something," Grunt muttered and then dashed out of cover towards one of the skeletons on the other side of their raised platform.

"Where the hell are you going?" he yelled. "Get your ass back on the line!"

He watched the krogan snatch something up and run back towards them at full tilt. Unfortunately while Grunt might have been the perfect krogan warrior, krogans were not born sprinters. The klixen would be on their position by the time he made it back.

"Garrus, cover that damn krogan," Shepard said.

The first half dozen of the large insects made it to the top of the stairs, more pushing behind them. He saw Grunt turn, something large and black in his hands, then a line of white smoke streak out of it and the front line of klixen disappear in a powerful explosion. On the right Tali's drone had perplexed the creatures enough that the return fire had also blunted the initial push. He had been skeptical of the small thing's usefulness when Tali had first showed him, but by now he loved it.

Grunt dove back into cover, grinning broadly. "Found a grenade launcher. Still... two rounds left in it too."

"Well, that is damned useful. You're lucky it didn't explode in your face when you pulled the trigger," Shepard growled. "Next time keep your ass on the line."

"I saw an advantage, I took it," the krogan retorted.

The spectre drew a bead on one of the bugs and fired, another small fireball brightening the day momentarily before he looked at Grunt once more. He shook his head and pointed at the people around him.

"Advantage or not, these are your team, your comrades. They rely on you to hold the line, you go and get yourself killed on stupid stunts and you let them down too! Now let's kill some damn bugs!"

He wasn't sure if Grunt got his point, but the krogan nodded and stood, firing at the next wave of klixen. Garrus had switched to his assault rifle if the sound of staccato bursts from his right was any indication. Grimacing he set his rifle down once more, grabbing up his SMG in his left and draw the heavy pistol at his hip with his right. They were holding the klixen back but every time they got a little closer.

The sea of red chitin surged forward again suddenly and he found angry bugs trying to climb over his cover. Grunt delivered a savage blow with the butt of his shotgun that sent the first sprawling on its back, while Shepard climbed on top of the stone, giving the next a hard kick.

"Samara, push them back!"

The asari nodded, her body already glowing with biotic energy before he'd even issued the order. A wall of energy pushed out, knocking the klixen off their feet and leaving them suspended in midair for a moment. He took advantage and put a round into one of the bugs at the center of the cluster, the explosion sending klixen smashing into everything.

Unfortunately the right flank didn't have a powerful biotic to stop the charge. He turned to see Zaeed toss a grenade over the stone barricade and grab Tali's arm, yanking her behind the cover as fire washed over their position. More klixen skittered forward to fill the gap. Grunt looked at him and nodded, another savage grin on his features.

"Holding the line. I understand," Grunt said.

The krogan charged forward, smashing bodily into the next klixen that came around the low wall and sending it flying back into its fellows. He roared, smashing another with the huge shotgun, and delivered blow with his head to another, causing the horde to focus on him. Then he dropped the barrel of his gun into the nearest klixen and fired.

"Grunt!" he yelled, realizing what the insane krogan was doing.

A split second later his feet left the ground as the result explosion sent him tumbling back towards the rest of the team. Shepard was running, sliding to a knee next to the warrior, Garrus only a second behind. His armor was covered in scorch marks but his gun was still clutched tightly in his hands.

"Grunt! Can you hear me?" Shepard asked. He wasn't even sure how you checked a krogan for vital signs.

Much to his chagrin the warrior's eyes snapped open and he began to alternate between coughing and laughing, dragging himself to his feet. Grunt shook his head vigorously and scanned the area to find all the klixen reduced to little more than messy stains.

"I thought Shepard was out of his mind. You have actually surpassed him, Grunt. I'm impressed," Garrus said in surprise.

The others had quickly gathered around. Apparently aside from some blood running out of his nose and some considerable scorching Grunt was little worse for the wear. Shepard could already imagine the amusement Wrex would get from hearing this little story. He patted Grunt on the shoulder.

"That was... also foolhardy, but damned brave, Grunt," he said.

Underfoot the ground jumped again, harder than it had before. Then again, almost causing Shepard to lose his footing. Apparently this Rite of Passage wasn't quite over, though he could only wonder what else the krogans had to throw at them after that. They weren't intending to send out actual warriors to fight them, were they?

"Now the krogan bear the genophage. Our reward. Our curse. A fight where the only reward is our survival!"

"The ground... it's shaking," Grunt said, looking around, nostrils flared. "I am ready."

The earth beneath was indeed vibrating even as he moved to grab up his rifle, seeing Tali and Samara moving to do the same with their discarded weapons. Everyone was smoothly reloading and keeping weapons at the ready, prepared for whatever new threat came. Nothing immediately presented itself. But the ground continued to vibrate, a steady rumble, almost familiar. He heard the sound of earth cracking.

"No... no, not here," he muttered, spinning in place to scan the area.

"Commander?" Samara asked.

Directly ahead the ground erupted in an explosion of rock and soil, a titanic roar splitting the air even as its body shook the earth. The thing that burst from the ground was a wall of dark brown chitin, topped by a cavernous maw, a great worm. Weapons aimed at the beast as it shook off the debris from its emergence. It was the galaxy's perfect organic killing machine. A thresher maw.

"Well fuck me running," Zaeed muttered.

It's great head swiveled, in search of prey. His team opened fire, rifle rounds peppering the length of its body to little effect. Shepard found himself on the ground, unable to keep his footing during the initial emergence. Seeing the beast his mind was yanked back into the past. He could hear the screams in his ears, panicked calls for help on the comm. The smell of blood and bile as people were torn apart inches away.

Even now Shepard could hear his team yelling around him, but he couldn't make his muscles move for long moments, screaming in his own head. Not this thing, he couldn't fight one of these. He saw what happened when you tried to fight a thresher maw on foot. He remembered warm eyes and bright red hair disappearing in an instant under tons of murderous monster.

Garrus' rifle cracked once more, clipping a mandible. He saw Grunt run past him, grenade launcher in one hand, shotgun in the other. Samara's body practically shone with dark energy, hurling pieces of rubble at the thing. He felt hands, thin but strong fingers, one under his arm another grabbing him by the collar of his arm. Hands trying to drag him to his feet as a familiar voice yelled his ear.

"We need you, Shepard! Come on!"

Tali was next to him, seeing that he was on his feet, and turning to face the massive beast. Something snapped in his head in that moment as he watched everything begin to play out like the twisted dream he remembered waking up from what felt like years ago. The thresher maw's body curled as it prepared to strike.

"No!" Shepard screamed, bringing up his heavy rifle. This wasn't Akuze. He wasn't a scared corporal with a standard issue Avenger and minimal experience, and this wasn't a trap set by Cerberus and walked into by an inexperienced lieutenant that he'd cautioned earlier that something wasn't right. This was his crew. His command. His friends.

The rifle roared to life, bucking in his hands and sending a round square into the thing's mouth. Giving an enraged bellow the thresher maw brought its strike up short, unable to fathom something being able to harm it. It looked for the source of its pain only to take another round, this one shearing off one of the small mandible pieces. Then another just below its jaw.

It reared back and hurled a gout of its harsh acid at him, but his assault didn't let up, the steady pounding of fire throwing off its aim. The acid splashed across one of the few remaining pillars, sizzling and popping, the stone already beginning to crumble.

He vaguely heard Grunt roar in response, leaping over the ledge and advancing on the beast. The thresher was trying to push through the heavy stone to get closer to its attackers, slamming its body down with blows that shook the earth, pointed foreclaws tearing massive gouges in the stone. Around him his team took cover and poured everything that they had into the thing.

Shepard just advanced steadily, firing the Widowmaker as quickly as he could, popping out one magazine and slapping another in. He could see ichor leaking down the plates of the thresher maw's body where the rounds had penetrated, but it wasn't giving up yet.

"Commander!" Garrus yelled. "Get down, dammit!"

"Not this time," he said, not really addressing anyone. "Not running, not this time."

The thresher was dragging itself closer, unable to burrow through the hard stone as easily as it had the softer soil. He put another round into its mouth, he could see a small gout of sticky blood spurting from the wound now that he was nearer to it. He fired again, a plate cracking under the impact. His hand reached down, coming up empty. No more ammo.

He tossed the empty rifle aside, drawing his pistol and even yanking the worn combat knife from its sheath at his waist. It was the one thing he'd had with him when Cerberus had revived him. The same knife that he'd had since basic training, the same one he'd had on Akuze. It was useless, really, but for some reason it felt right. If this thing was going to eat him then he'd make damn sure it regretted it. Another strong push brought the thresher maw in striking range.

"Shepard!"

The scream was Tali's, he knew. Rounds streaked past him, his team still raining fire on the thing, though he knew that it would have minimal effect. The thresher roared a final time and lunged. He fired the Carnifex into its spreading jaws.

Then its head jerked to the side as grenade exploded under its chin, shattering chitin and causing it to waver. Grunt ran in front of him, screaming a challenge to the creature that it accepted, raising itself up and bringing its mouth down to consume the krogan whole. He thought that it was Grunt's final moment of glory.

As it turned out it was just the first. The thresher maw's head exploded like an overripe fruit being hit by a car, showering the surroundings in gore and causing its body to spasm, flailing away to slam into the side of one of the other ruins and then lay still. Grunt was standing at the center of the mess, guns raised as he gave a triumphant roar.

"I. Am. Krogan!"

"Son of a bitch," Zaeed said, resting his rifle on his shoulder and looking at the corpse of the thresher maw, neck still smoking here its head once was. "Standard operating procedure when you run into a thresh is just run the hell away."

The krogan moved back towards them, reaching up to pull a sticky trail of viscera from his shoulder and sling it away. He had dropped the now empty grenade launcher at his feet. The battle had clearly pushed him past his restlessness and rage and straight into a pure battle euphoria.

"Is there no more?" Grunt laughed. "What other test would they have me pass? Must I battle the earth itself now?"

All Shepard could feel was a sense of amazement. He had spent hundreds of nights running from an unstoppable monster in his dreams, listening to the dying screams of his squadmates. Now he was looking at a smoking corpse, a terror given form and brought low by his own team no less. He slumped against the pillar, numbly popping the expended heatsink and slotting in a fresh one.

"Impressive," a voice said behind them.

Uvenk stood at the now opened gate, half a dozen krogan warriors behind him. He looked down at the assembled group, gauging each before turning his attention back to Grunt and taking a single step down.

"You have succeeded in your Rite, tank-born. And in doing so achieved a feat unmatched since Wrex's own Rite of Passage," Uvenk said. "Your... origin might be different, but I can see the power you possess. I would give you the chance to join Clan Gatatog."

"Join you? Weren't you the one that was calling him an unnatural lump of plastic just a few hours ago?" Garrus asked.

"I am no fool. What he has done here will echo greatly within the Clans. I offer him the chance to join with me and help restore the krogan people to the old ways, strong ways," the krogan countered. "You would have a clan and a place of respect. With your... unconventional method of birth you could not be allowed to breed, but surely you would rather stand with a krogan that would see us rise to our former glory?"

"Shepard has shown me that the old ways are not the only ways, Uvenk," Grunt said. "And I am no a fool either, you forget I have memories of some of our greatest warlords. You want a prize, a figure head to use for your own ends. Clan Urdnot offered me a place when it wasn't to their advantage, only that it was believed the correct decision."

The other Gatatog warriors shifted eagerly, weapons edging upward in anticipation. Uvenk growled, stabbing a finger at the other krogan.

"If you will not call me ally, then you will call me enemy, tank-born!"

"Glady," Grunt said, leveling his shotgun and opening fire. The blast spread quickly over the distance, but still maintained enough force to make Uvenk's barriers flare to life, sending the warrior staggering.

It wasn't a fight, really. Krogans were deadly and brutal warriors, but Grunt's blood was up and most of his squad still had adrenaline flowing in their veins from the frantic battle with the thresher maw. One of the Gatatog soldiers never fired a shot, instead flying into a wall courtesty of a nearly instantaneous biotic throw from Samara.

Uvenk's guards opened fire at the same moment the rest of his squad did. While the exchange was fierce on both ends, it was far more precise on the part of Shepard's team. The first burst from Zaeed's rifle took out an enemy's knee, while Garrus' sniper rifle sent another's helmet flying. Shepard shook off the lethargy that had taken hold after the thresher had fell and added his own fire, emptying the heavy pistol into a charging krogan. The Carnifex lived up to its advertisements: the Gatatog warrior crumbled to the ground a few feet short of completing his charge.

It seemed Grunt wanted to end the conflict personally. He charged in, driving his shoulder into Uvenk just as the older krogan had steadied himself. Each gave a loud roar of anger, forgoing weapons for sheer brutal physical combat, bodies slamming into each other with such force that the sound echoed even over the rapidly dwindling gunfire.

Tali and Garrus gave the last of the Gatatog warriors a one-two punch, the latter's rifle checking his charge and cracking his barriers, while the former's shotgun tore through the heavy armor to bring the krogan down. After that a silent agreement seemed to fall, weapons kept at the ready, but none interfering with two krogan. Vicious blows rained, headbutts and kicks, even bites.

The final blow came when Uvenk charged, barreling at the younger krogan with murderous intent. Apparently Grunt learned quickly, mirroring the altercation in the cargo bay with deadly precision. His body came down, striking the charging warrior low, reaching down and flipping hundreds of pounds of krogan over his shoulder and into the air. Uvenk landed with a sickening crunch, a long piece of twisted steel driven straight through his chest when his entire weight had fallen upon it. A testament to krogan endurance he still struggled for a moment, only to cease when Grunt drew his previously unused pistol and let a final shot ring out, bringing the conflict to an end.

"And now we know who is the true krogan," Grunt said.

* * *

It felt like it took an hour for her heartbeat to finally slow, even if Tali knew it had only been a few minutes. Grunt's proclamation had brought an end to the Rite, and no one else had appeared to challenge them. In the silence that followed they had made their way back up the slope towards the waiting Tomkah, everyone clearly worn and tired. She noticed a few others casting glances at Shepard's back.

For a brief moment she had thought that it was about to happen again, that she'd be forced to watch him die. Part of her was just relieved that it hadn't happened, another was actually angry that him for putting himself in the situation. And she knew the others were wondering what had happened, it wasn't like Shepard to act the way he had. They had been in so many dire situations, but he always kept it together, determined and relentless.

Garrus fell into step beside her, gesturing with his head towards their commander and speaking quietly.

"I wasn't expecting that."

"Me either," she replied. "I mean, he told us all back in the day that he'd been on Akuze, the only survivor. But he said it was years ago, the past."

"Somethings are never quite far enough in the past, I guess," Garrus shrugged. "I guess I'll see what's up, don't want the others getting nervous."

"Let me talk to him. I think... well, maybe he'll listen to me, he did before," she suggested, a smile entering her voice as she continued. She didn't want to elaborate on the recent events that she felt might at least make Shepard open up a little more. "The others respect you more, I'm sure you can get their minds off it with an old war story or two."

The turian snorted. "Old warhorse now, am I? I've got a few decades left before I reach Zaeed status. But I'll defer to your judgement."

"You're gaining quickly."

"Bah," he grumbled.

They soon reached the large wheeled tank, quickly loading up as the Urdnot guards motioned them to make haste. In the distance Tali could see a dark cloud that seemed to be heading in their direction. As soon as the hatch sealed the vehicle lurched into motion. One of the guards gestured back in the direction they came.

"About time. Dust storm coming. You aliens wouldn't have lasted ten minutes without shelter," he said. "Would have left you behind an hour ago but Shaman told us that until the Rite was over we would go nowhere."

"We appreciate the generosity," Tali said sardonically.

"He was wise. It has been centuries since anyone has killed a thresher maw during their Rite. Grunt will be a proud Urdnot warrior," the guard replied. "Now find somewhere to secure yourself, quarian. The storm will be on us soon and the trip will be rough."

She nodded. Already the engineer noticed that the light that filtered in through the small windows had dimmed and the sound of an ever strengthening wind was becoming audible even over the loud engines of the Tomkah. Glancing over she was surprised to notice that Zaeed was leaned against one of the bulkheads and apparently asleep. Apparently once you had been through enough war a little bit of a bumpy ride and a dust storm weren't a huge obstacle to a nap.

Garrus had quickly taken to his task, telling Samara and Grunt about their time when one of the more notorious Terminus pirates had set a trap for them with an old Alliance military probe, how they'd hacked the nuclear explosive to prevent its detonation and fought their way out of an entire camp of mercenaries. Samara seemed the absorb the tale like she did everything, while Grunt nodded his head like an eager child. His lust for battle seemed unquenchable.

The one that wasn't apparent was Shepard. She peered around the transport area were the Urdnot guards and the rest of the team were sitting. Finally the one that had spoken before jerked a thumb towards a ladder at the back of the vehicle.

"The other human went that way, towards the rear gun nest."

"Thank you."

He grunted. "Just tell him not to touch anything. The Tomkah is marked as an unaligned transport. He starts firing the guns and some other Clan might get the wrong idea."

She nodded and climbed the ladder. When she reached the top Tali found what would qualify as a small room to most species, but was probably fairly cramped for a krogan. A wide semi-circular armored windshield provided a clear view of the terrain that was falling behind them, while a number of controls were clearly meant to direct the power of the rear anti-vehicle mass drivers. Shepard was sitting on the wide chair meant for the gunner, looking out at the approaching storm. He looked odd in the over-sized seat, like a child trying to drive his father's aircar.

Tali pulled herself up into the turret and closed the hatch behind her, causing Shepard to finally notice that he wasn't alone anymore. He seemed to be trying to say something but not able to find the right words, meeting her eyes as she gazed at him quizzically.

"You didn't think you'd be able to get away that easily did you?" she asked, trying to sound light-hearted.

"No, I guess not," Shepard said finally. "I'm sorry. About what happened back there. I put you and everyone else in danger."

The quarian approached, his hand moving to his arm and sliding up to his shoulder slowly. "What did happen?"

"I froze up. It was like I was in a bad dream, back to being a green soldier. If I'd been thinking clearly I'd have taken cover, ordered everyone to disperse" he said quietly, looking away. "When I was able to shake it off it was just replaced with... anger. I couldn't..."

Tali watched his hands ball into fists, the armor actually creaking under the pressure. His voice trailed off. She decided to just make the leap, sliding into the seat next to him and slipping an arm under his, pulling one of his fists into her grasp and slowly prying the clenched fingers open.

"Shepard," she said quietly. "We're all okay. Just tell me. You couldn't what?"

He let out a ragged sigh. "I couldn't watch everyone die again, couldn't survive another Akuze. All I could think of was hurting that damn thing and if it was going to take someone that it was going to take me first."

"Oh..." Tali said. That was as close to a truly self-destructive sentiment as she'd ever heard from him, even back on Ilium when he'd been swimming in alcohol and torn down by Liara he hadn't sounded quite so... hopeless.

"I had this dream... I guess it was before they brought me back," he continued. "I was back there. The sand and the screams. And the old Normandy crew was there too. But it always turned out the same, I couldn't ever stop it."

"You mean that was all you dreamt for... two years?"

His smirk was a sad ghost of its usual self. "It's all I've dreamt since Akuze and that was almost ten years ago now."

"Keelah, Shepard," she breathed. Her memory flashed back, Shepard sitting at a table in the mess with a tablet that he was scrolling idly through. Smiling when she sat down, talking to her about quarians or starships. "All those nights in the mess hall... you always said you just didn't need much sleep."

"You get used to it after awhile," Shepard said. As he was speaking she continued to slowly caress his hand, finally being rewarded when she felt the muscles relax slightly, a little less tension holding him up ramrod straight.

"I'm sorry, I don't know what to say. After the Normandy's destruction I had nightmares... but nothing like that," she replied. "All this time, why haven't you ever told anyone?"

"Who could I tell?" he sighed. "The marines that died on Akuze, they were family and friends. My father died before I enlisted, my mother was a Captain by then. And I watched them all die. You remember... in my cabin, I said I'm not good at... at this?"

At his question she felt his had grasp hers, squeezing slightly. Outside the storm had almost overtaken them, the Tomkah bouncing and jostling as it rolled over rubble and fought against the stiff winds. She nodded.

"It's because I never got much practice. There was another marine in my unit, a damn good marksman. She was... we were close," Shepard continued in a strained voice. "After Akuze I just put everything I had into my training. Then came Saren. I finally let people get close aboard the Normandy... and then the Collectors took that away too. Then you came along again and despite all the rational parts of my brain telling me to stay away, I couldn't."

"You don't have to," she replied. "And you don't have to pretend you're perfect, either. You're allowed to be just a man sometimes, Shepard."

"I'll try my best. I just might need some help at times from a certain quarian girl."

She shook her head. "I still wonder if..."

"No," he responded quickly. "No more of that, I told you already I don't care about any of that. I don't want anyone else. I want you."

Tali's heart had nearly leapt from her chest the previous night at his words, hearing them again only sent that same warm surge through her blood. Her hand moved up to trail her fingers along his jaw, light and unsure.

"After all you've been through don't you deserve someone that you can touch whenever you want? You can't even see my face," she asked.

"I've gotten far more than I deserve," the spectre replied, leaning close until his face was nearly against her visor. The old sadness in his eyes had fled, replaced by something else now even as his other hand caressed her leg.

She bit her lip behind the darkened visor, every inch of her body crawling at the new sensations of his hand's caress even with her cursed suit between them. When she responded it was faintly strained.

"I think you're just trying to distract me from talking about you now."

"Maybe I am," he chuckled. "I just watched a monster that's been plaguing my dreams for years die and helmet or no, I have a woman that I know is beautiful next to me. I don't want to fill that moment with memories and pain."

The vehicle jumped sharply, nearly sending them both out of the seat with the jarring impact. Shepard's hands reached out and caught her, pulling her close. When the Tomkah had resumed its more normal rough ride she found herself sitting across his lap.

"We keep ending up like this," she said, and much to her horror actually giggled.

Shepard just smiled. "Hrm, now that's a sound I haven't heard from you before. I wonder if I can get you to make it again?"

She felt her cheeks warm in embarrassment only to yelp when one of Shepard's fingers poked playfully at her stomach, apparently curious to see if her people shared the human trait for ticklishness. Tali swung her leg around and pushed him back against the chair in a sudden burst of aggressiveness, hands on his shoulders.

"You're as bad as Garrus, teasing me."

"Well, I hope you're not in this same position with Garrus too often," Shepard smirked, this time the look was the more familiar one, warm and humorous.

The young quarian's face burned even hotter as she processed her position, straddling her commander, pressing him against the chair. His hands went to her back, encircling her waist, as she jumped to prevent her from getting up.

"Shepard," she said quietly, looking down at him. "This... this is what I mean. You can't even kiss me."

"Does that mean you want to kiss me?" he asked, his hands sliding down her waist in a very slow, sensuous caress.

"Yes," Tali hissed. It was maddening, two days ago she had thought that she'd spend her life watching Shepard from a distance, now that all those bottle up emotions weren't so bottled anymore all she wanted to do was tear the mask from his face and enjoy that closeness she saw the other races take for granted on a daily basis.

"Then that's good enough for me," Shepard said. His hands drifted lower and squeezed, eliciting what she could only call a moan. "You said before that there was research you could do. Would it be safe, really, I mean?"

Tali nodded, leaning down to rest his visor against his forehead. The dust storm engulfed the Tomkah now, howling impotently against the thick armored windows, but they were ignoring it. "I... I think so. There's always risks, but quarians have done it before. I just need to do more research, find out exactly what I need."

"I don't want to risk your health, not for me, not for anything. But if its possible... then do your research quickly, Miss Vas Normandy. Captain's orders," he said with a smile.

Her voice came out with a sultriness that she didn't know that she possessed.

"Yes, Captain."


	22. Chapter 21

Sometime later the tomkah came to a stop, once more safely inside the sheltered walls of Clan Urdnot's encampment. Shepard and Tali had spent most the ride back in an embrace that radiated a slow heat, her suit and his armor far too great a barrier to grant them the closeness desired, but neither wanting to give up what contact they had. She had questioned him, gently but firmly prying out more details of his past, her close proximity giving her leverage to loosen his tongue. As much as Shepard hated to admit it, talking about it had helped lessen its grasp on his psyche, even if it was slow progress..

His father's words or his own subconscious, in reality it didn't matter, echoed in his head. Find something worth living for before your memories kill you. Today his memories had almost succeeded in doing just that, it had taken his crew, his team, to change the outcome. Shepard tightened his grip around Tali's waist as the memories surged forward once more, her presence like an anchor that kept him from being swept away in the past.

"Shepard?" she asked.

"Nothing, just... remembering what's important," he said. The spectre heard movement: the crew preparing to unload now that the storm was safely locked outside by the heavy blast doors.

"Come on, everyone will wonder where we've gotten to if we don't climb out of here. And... thank you. It's been a very long time since I told anyone about what happened there."

Tali gave his arm a final squeeze as she reluctantly pulled away, standing. "What you've done for me... for everyone, Shepard, is beyond what anyone could ever have asked. You tell me that I spend too much time thinking of others, but I think you might be worse than I am."

He smiled ruefully and stood. "I have to be. It's my ship, my crew, my people. They count on me to get them home safe. I can't do anything less than my best."

"And you never have."

Shepard would have disagreed, thinking of the good people they had lost, but Tali placed the tips of her slim fingers on his lips and shook her head when he tried to open his mouth. It was clear that she wasn't having any of it. He smiled once more and popped the hatch to the gun turret, motioning for her to proceed with an overly elaborate bow that elicited a faint echo of laughter from the quarian's visor. He slid down the ladder after her, noticing Garrus leaning against the hatch. Grunt and the others had apparently already filed out.

"Ah good, was wondering if you two had fallen asleep up there," the turian said.

"Please. I don't think this vehicle could bounce more even if it was being shot at," Tali replied. "But at least the company was less snarky."

The trio hopped out of the tomkah and onto the dusty earth. Around the encampment fires were lit, supplementing the artificial lights. The burning sun that had been ever present before was nowhere to be seen, blotted out by dust and clouds. Half a dozen krogan warriors waited, standing before Grunt. There was far less of a sense of hostility in the air than when they arrived. The gestures and voices sounded respectful even though he couldn't quite make out what they were saying to the younger krogan.

Tali strolled towards Grunt and the gathering krogan but Garrus stopped him with a hand on his arm. Turian faces were never quite as good at expressing emotion as humans, but if anything he'd say the man looked pensive.

"You okay, Boss?"

"Yea, Garrus. I will be. Just... got caught up in the past, let it get the upper hand. It won't happen again."

Garrus nodded. "I understand. Some things stick with you, I still see the faces of my squad, but at least after that mess with Sidonis its not as bad. Thought we were going to lose you for a second there, though."

"So did I. But I'll keep it together, it just took me too long to take some good advice," Shepard said.

"What advice is that?"

Shepard smiled and resisted the urged to glance after the retreating quarian. "Find something worth living for."

His turian companion merely arched a brow and shook his head, motioning for Shepard to proceed him and join up with the others. It turned out the warriors were there to escort Grunt and his krant to the clan leader. Killing the thresher maw apparently wasn't actually part of the Rite, prospective warriors were simply meant to prove that they had the instinct and will to survive no matter the odds The gateway would have opened after a few minutes to allow them to escape. Instead they had killed the massive beast. Hindsight truly was twenty-twenty.

Wrex was seated on his throne of roughly-hewn stone, while the shaman stood at his side. A few more guards stood around near their leader while other krogans watched from just outside the circle that made up audience chamber. Grunt led the way, coming to a stop before Wrex while Shepard and the others stood just behind him.

"You have completed your Rite of Passage, Grunt, do you wish to join the ranks of Clan Urdnot?" the shaman asked.

Grunt nodded once. "I do."

"Then you are Urdnot Grunt, be known to all as an adult and a proud warrior! You have earned you place, it is your right to choose a Battlemaster to serve under and to request to mate with the Clan's females. I suspect your offspring will be strong."

The large krogan dropped to one knee, something about the situation seeming to demand solemness. His words were loud and clear.

"Shepard is my Battlemaster, and he has no equal. He hears the song of battle as loudly as any krogan, living or dead. I serve him to crush an enemy greater than any krogan has faced."

"Ha!" Wrex said, standing, a large grin spreading across his scarred features as he looked to Shepard. "Words of a warrior, Urdnot Grunt. You will strengthen the clan."

Shaman glanced at the human as well. "Indeed. Bring him back when your enemies are ash and cinder, human. Our clan, our race, needs the fire in his blood. Rise, Urdnot Grunt, and join your people!"

The roar that went up from the surrounding krogans was deafening, accompanied by the sound of pounding fists and stomping feet. Grunt stood, leaning his head back and giving a primal bellow as Wrex approached. The older krogan boxed him on both arms and nodded approvingly.

"Next thing someone is going to tell me he's a quint and shits dark matter," Wrex laughed. "Guess that's what it takes to replace me!"

What little ceremony there was seemed to be over, the shaman slowly shuffling off to return to his alcove and the watching krogan dispersing. Shepard approached and gave Grunt a slap on the shoulder.

"How do you feel now, Grunt?" he asked.

"Good... this, this is what I lacked. Purpose. Clan. My bloodlust is undimmed, Shepard," Grunt replied, but grinned wickedly when one of the commander's eyebrows shot upwards in concern. "But it is mine to control now, it will not control me."

"Guess this beats my idea of taking him to Omega and buying a few dances, huh?" Garrus added. "What now?"

Wrex rumbled with mirth. "Now? No one has killed the thresher maw in centuries, turian. Not since I did it. Now we celebrate a new warrior joining Urdnot's ranks and the krant that helped destroy the beast. You said your crew stood as Grunt's krant. Any of them that aren't here should come down soon for the celebration."

"Wrex, I'm not sure..."

"Don't be stupid, Shepard. Unless there's another damn Conduit somewhere, the galaxy won't end in a day. The tomkah with the kill should be back after the storm is over... a new warrior must feast on his greatest kill and you haven't lived until you've sunk your teeth into a thresher steak," the older krogan said.

"Wait, you're going to eat it?" Tali asked incredulously.

Wrex laughed. "For the next month. They're already rounding up the ryncol and other 'important supplies' for the festivities. When night falls you'll get to see how the krogan celebrate."

"I'm not sure we can survive krogan celebration, Wrex," he cautioned.

"Don't worry, we might not be fond of aliens but we're not stupid. We even have quarters and those stupid baths you lot enjoy so much. Actually the nicest damn part of this facility since everything is too small for a proper krogan," the clan leader explained, then nodded at Tali. "Even fancy enough for you if you make sure all the bits still work. There was a time when 'krogan mechanics' were captured quarians and we had to have somewhere to keep you lot where you wouldn't die."

The engineer's response was a sputter of disbelief and uncertain anger. "You kept quarians as... as slaves?"

Wrex waved a hand dismissively. "Bah that was centuries ago, don't get worked up over it."

"Well it would be rude to refuse an invitation to a party, especially in Grunt's honor," Garrus said.

"Huh. You have alcohol that I can drink and have long enough to enjoy before I pass out?" Zaeed asked.

"Hrmph. Of course, last time we gave aliens ryncol they claimed we tried to poison them."

"Okay. Losing a day won't change anything, let me radio Miranda and I'll have the rest of the ground team come down in the other shuttle," Shepard said, giving in and holding up his hands. "I don't think Joker needs to be on a planet full of krogan with his bones and I don't trust the rest of the regular crew not to get themselves killed on a planet like this."

"Good," Wrex said. "Head that way and I'll have one of the guards take you to those old quarters, I know you mammals like to do that whole cleaning thing and you actually take your armor off."

Zaeed shook his head as they headed in the direction that Wrex had indicated.

"Not sure about taking the armor off, it is a krogan party, after all."

* * *

"This is amazing, I can't believe krogans actually designed these," Tali said, poking at the controls for the block of rooms that they had found with some simple directions.

There were a dozen rooms, all mostly the same size, ringing a central common room. Three on one side were completely unusable, doors missing or ceilings collapsed, but the remaining ones seemed to be in good condition. Especially for Tuchanka. Even the ever present dust seemed to be only minimally present.

"Maybe they didn't," Shepard suggested, walking around the room.

"It is entirely possible either way," Samara said. "Despite the galaxy's general impression there are krogans who are quite adept at things other than violence. They are a very practical people."

"Ah! Got you, _bosh'tet_," Tali exclaimed. A second later the handful of terminals and non-emergency lighting in the room sprung to life with a faint hum.

"Things were a little scrambled from whatever did the damage to this place originally but it looks like it was built to last. Everything else seems to be fully operational."

"Welcome to the Tuchanka Inn and Suites," Shepard joked.

Zaeed and Garrus were both poking their heads in each room, finding little of interest. Grunt had remained with the other krogans, getting a first hand introduction to his people, experiences no tank imprint could grant. Samara simply claimed on of the rooms, unsnapping the weapons harness that adorned her shoulders.

"Now what?" he asked after a minute of Tali still taping away at her omni-tool and studying the readout on the wall.

"I'm not sure but..." the engineer trailed off.

Across the room one of the room doors slammed shut and a louder hum was heard. Zaeed came out of the room he'd been examining, rifle at the ready. He looked cross when Shepard waved him down, but went back about his business. Tali was nodding eagerly.

"It's actually a sterilization cycle... I guess I should be more offended since we're in what were essentially slave quarters but they're really impressive," the quarian said. "I think before the damage there was a secondary airlock at the other end too that could cycle. Like a giant clean room."

"As I said before, krogans are a practical people. If you are keeping captives with very special needs that are difficult to come by then you put additional effort into maintaining them," Samara said, emerging from one of the rooms. "Not to mention it would make a simple method of control. If they removed their suits in the safety of a sterilized environment then a single shaped charge could breach the seal and expose them all to harmful outside contaminants."

"Wait, that room locked for sterilization," Shepard said. "You mean that room would be like a clean room where you could safely remove your suit?"

With Samara's presence the other question that was between them went unmentioned, but from the way her head quickly turned, eyes meeting his own Shepard could tell that Tali had thought of the same thing. After a few long moments she finally shook her head, a sigh of disappointment echoing from her voice modulator.

"No... I mean, not really," she replied.

"It's been too long, I could run the sterilization system a dozen times and it probably wouldn't be enough at this point. The room would need a proper physical sterilization and a through check of all its systems before it would be safe."

"I am sure that must be a disappointment," Samara said kindly, placing a hand briefly on the young quarian's shoulder. "Still, the facilities do exist... with a little work it could be usable if we ever returned to this planet."

"No, it's okay. It would be foolish of my to remove my suit somewhere unfamiliar anyways," she said quickly.

Shepard grimaced and looked towards the justicar. "Samara, tell the others to keep out of trouble, I'm going to take Tali and investigate that trader Wrex was talking about."

"Of course, Commander," Samara agreed.

Tali followed him wordlessly out of the quarters and back into the dusty halls of the regular krogan encampment. Even with the number of Wrex's people and members of other clans living here it seemed as if this area had been only rarely traveled, few footprints marring coating of dirt on the floor. After a few minutes Shepard stopped, halting Tali with a light touch.

"Sorry about that. I wasn't thinking," he said, running a hand through his close shorn hair with a sigh. "Or I was, just not of the right things."

"No, it's... I didn't mind," Tali said. The hint of nervousness he'd seen back in his cabin had returned but she managed to look him in the eyes when she spoke, amusement running beneath the nervousness.

"And it's not as if I didn't think of it too after the... ah, ride back."

He smiled. "Call me paranoid, I don't want to screw anything up."

One twin-toed foot shuffled against the floor, stirring up a tiny cloud of dirt. Tali's hands had met at her waist once more, it was a gesture he was becoming quite familiar with. Not to mention one that he found rather cute, even if he knew better than to tell her that.

"Shepard, I tried to tell you this on the ride but... I... understand if you need to find something... someone else."

"Tali, the answer is going to be the same. I don't want someone else," Shepard said, reaching down and grasping her hands.

Standing in what was effectively a public corridor probably wasn't the best place for this, especially if Tali didn't want their relationship known, but he wasn't going leave the question hanging in the air. Tali shook her head, fingers grasping his.

"In the tomkah, though, the way we touched it felt... hungry, good. I've never really felt like that before," she said. "It seems unfair to you when you're not the one trapped in a suit."

"I'm not, but the one I want is. But it doesn't matter, that's not what's important. I don't want to risk your health. I'm willing to wait as long as it takes, Tali," he assured her.

"Thank you... I just can't get used to hearing someone, you, saying that to me," Tali laughed nervously.

"I'll say it as much as I need to. But you don't have to keep thinking that you're holding me back from something, Tali. I'm where I want to be... for the first time in a long time, actually."

"Oh? A dusty world full of angry krogans on a mission to fight Reaper controlled bug people is right where you want to be? Maybe all those people that said you were strange aren't so wrong after all..." she said, playfully trailing off as her old confidence returned.

"No, with the people that really matter in my life."

For the second time in so many days he was fairly sure he could tell that his quarian companion was blushing from her body language. Her strong fingers squeezed his hand tightly. He gestured down the hallway, towards the landing bay where the Normandy's other shuttle would be landing soon and where the merchant was supposed to be waiting.

"Now, do you want to see what kind of stuff a krogan merchant sells?" he asked.

Tali cocked her head faintly the side in a gesture he'd learned usually meant the equivalent of a smile.

"Lead on, _hesh'alan_."

Their hands parted, but they walked close, brushing every now and then. On another world they'd have been doing a poor job of concealing things, on Tuchanka the krogan's didn't really pay that much attention to the idiosyncrasies of aliens.

It wasn't difficult to find the merchant that Wrex had mentioned, he had claimed a section of wall just outside the landing area, his 'shop' sprawling across the wall and apparently disappearing back into one of the corridors that he was using as storage. A staggering array of goods could be seen that had no particular organization that could be determined, from cases of ryncol to what looked like shuttle exhaust manifolds. There were even cuts of fresh meat laying on what looked like old style butchers paper, only another sheet of the thick paper protecting it from the elements.

The merchant was armored as all krogan were, but not in the thick, layered combat armor most of the Urdnot warriors could be seen in. He also wore light coverings over the armor, apparently trying to look at least slightly less threatening to off-worlders. He was placing mass accelerator ammo blocks into a case while a large varren lounged nearby, its mottled brown and blue hide criss-crossed with scars. Looking up the krogan grunted.

"Ah, customers? Names Ratch. Don't know what I'll have here for humans or quarians but you're welcome to look around."

"You seem pretty friendly compared to everyone else around here," Shepard commented. "Was getting the impression nobody liked aliens on this planet."

"Most of them don't, but I'm not an idiot. This might not be a major tourist draw but aliens still come here and aliens have more money than anyone else on this rock. I see no problem helping them spend some of it," Ratch explained.

He couldn't help but smile at the pragmatic krogan. It seemed even in a society of warriors there were still those that understood the power of economics, even if on a more limited scale than another species might have considered. Tali wandered over towards a set of couplings hanging from one of the stalls.

"Shepard! FBA couplings..." Tali said, pointing.

The large varren that had been previously lying down stood at the quarian's approach, letting out a low, suspicious growl. It was a big beast, its shoulders reaching almost up to a grown man's waist, a strange cross between a dog, a lizard, and a frog with its large, round eyes.

Shepard quickly covered the distance between them, placing his far more considerable bulk between Tali and the varren. He'd never had many pets growing up, certainly never a dog with starship regulations being what they were, but he did know something about giving orders... and something about krogan thinking. It stood to reason an animal that came from their planet might work the same.

"Down," he ordered, fixing the animal with a stare and balling his armored hand into a fist. His other hand slipped behind his back, fingers wrapped around the grip of the combat knife that rested there.

The varren looked at him quizzically, cocking its head and then shifting side to side. Their little staring match stretched out over a few seconds before the large animal's muscles relaxed and its tongue suddenly lolled out of its mouth, dropping its lower body in what could only be determined as a submissive gesture. He unclenched his fist and reached out, giving the beast a careful pat on the head. It responded eagerly, making an strange combination of a croak and a bark.

"It's kind of cute when it's not growling at me," Tali said. She had stayed just behind Shepard during the brief confrontation, not wanting to break whatever hold he had on the varren but out of the corner of his eye he noticed her thumb the safety back on the pistol at her hip. He crouched, scratching behind the row of quills that started on its head and moved backwards, eliciting what could only be called a rumbling purr.

He reached up on the table and grabbed one of the small bits of meat, tossing it in the air for the varren to snatch. Pleased smacking sounds followed as the beast wolfed down the morsel. To their right Ratch laughed loudly.

"You always let your pet growl at customers? Seems bad for business," Shepard asked. The situation had been resolved peacefully enough if the varren's sudden change in attitude was any indication but the fact that it easily could have resulted in a fatal suit puncture for Tali if it had bitten didn't exactly thrill him.

"My pet? Looks like he's yours to me. I guess Urz finally found someone to follow around," the merchant said, gesturing to where the varren looked up at him expectantly. "He used to be the prize pit fighter around here until his master was exiled. No one else has been able to claim him, he's just been wandering around wherever he sees fit."

"Huh," he muttered. Glancing back he noticed Tali giving the animal a tentative pat. The varren tensed for a moment but quickly relaxed, leaning into the scratches.

"The girl see something she liked?" Ratch asked.

"Yea, those FBA couplings apparently caught her eye."

Tali looked up, leaving a disappointed Urz half-rolled on his back looking for further attention. He continued to look forlorn when she moved towards Shepard, nodding eagerly.

"Yes, those are the old T-6's. Donnelly was complaining about the ones they installed on the Normandy since the day I got on board and he's right. There is nothing wrong with them, but they're inefficient. We have to align them every day, with those we could cut it down to once a week," she explained.

"Sounds like a good investment to me. Wouldn't want my chief engineer getting over worked," Shepard said. "We'll take them, and whatever it costs for the meat the varren ate."

Ratch shook his head. "Meats on the house, if Urz is following you around he's not scaring customers. The couplings... ah, I'll let'em go for a thousand credits."

"A thousand? Just because I'm human doesn't make me an idiot. They can't be worth more than two-fifty."

"You're out of your mind, those T-6's are hard to find. Eight hundred," Ratch countered.

"Yea, and you're hard to find all the way here on Tuchanka. How many people are going to come through that need those couplings? Five hundred and I'll have my XO give your shop a once over for any other supplies we might need as long as you keep your prices reasonable."

The krogan grunted in annoyance but nodded. "Good enough. Usually none of the aliens that come through haggle much, guess the big teeth scare'em."

"Guess so," Shepard laughed. "I've got another shuttle coming down, I'll have someone pick up the couplings after the celebration."

Ratch nodded again and waited patiently while Shepard activated his omni-tool and sent the payment to the merchant, followed by a message to Miranda notifying her of the purchase. While he didn't think Tali would allow it, he'd be damned if they were going to fly off and forget their new acquisition. Once their business was finished they began to head back towards the quarters. The Normandy's other shuttle would be arriving within the hour.

"You know I didn't think you even knew what T-6's were," Tali commented.

"You're not the only one that grew up on ships, remember?"

"True. Seems odd, humans are the only other race I know of that has family on ships," she said.

Shepard shrugged. "Merchant marines and exploration fleets... the Alliance decided if they were going to consider postings to the larger ships almost like bases then they'd have to make some adjustments. They try to avoid having any families on ships of the line if hostilities are active, though."

"Sadly we can't afford that luxury," Tali sighed.

"Maybe one day that will change. Your people can't wander the stars forever."

It was Tali's turn to shrug. "Maybe. But after three hundred years I wonder if we know how to do anything else."

He reached out and squeezed her shoulder, causing her to move a little closer before she remembered that they weren't alone, or at least not anywhere they didn't have to worry about someone making a sudden appearance. A moment later he was surprised to hear a faint peal of laughter from the purple clad quarian next to him.

"What?" he asked.

She gestured behind them. "It seems we have company."

Arching an eyebrow at Tali, he stopped and turned. There a few dozen paces behind him was Urz, his hind end wagging back and forth as soon as Shepard turned his attention to him. He turned and walked a few more feet before glancing back once more. Sure enough Urz had padded along and then sat once more when he stopped.

"Umm... now what?"

"Now what? Don't look at me, we didn't have pets on the Flotilla, not organic ones at least," Tali said. "I don't think he's going to leave, though. Seems rather infatuated with the dashing commander."

"You're enjoying this too much," he grumbled.

Urz still sat, waiting expectantly. He gave a sigh and shook his head, gesturing for the beast to follow. The varren was immediately on his feet and moving to follow at his heels happily.

"Come on, boy. If nothing else you can bunk with Garrus. I'm sure he'll be appreciative."

A few hours later true night had fallen over Tuchanka and the rest of the Normandy ground team had arrived. As promised the quarters provided did have functioning showers which allowed Shepard to change out of his armor into some simple but rugged fatigues. Much to Tali's amusement his newest companion, Urz, and followed him faithfully everywhere since their initial encounter.

"Are you entirely sure this is wise, Commander? Leaving the ship under Joker's command to attend a krogan coming of age celebration?" Miranda asked as the group assembled to head towards the main gathering area.

"Joker might be a wise ass but he's still a tried and tested member of my crew. I'll trust the Normandy in his hands any day," Shepard assured her.

"Very well, Commander. I also took a look at that krogan merchant's shop as you requested. There are a few items we can pick up that will likely be cheaper than buying them on the Citadel or Illium, I'll make sure its taken care of before we dust off."

"Good. Now relax, Miranda. We're here for a celebration, you're off duty."

"I'm never off duty," she replied.

Shepard shook his head. "Well, at least try to pretend to be off duty while you're not doing so."

"I'll do my best. By the way, is there any reason we're being followed around by a varren big enough for small children to ride?" his XO asked.

"His name is Urz," Garrus said drolly. "Apparently Shepard has decided to branch out to attracting non-sapient followers. Thankfully he hasn't started chewing or humping anything or else I'd have to have shot him."

"You will not be shooting Urz, you big blue_ bosh'tet_," Tali said crossly. Giving the animal a scratch between his large eyes she spoke low enough that Shepard could barely hear her. "You're a good varren, aren't you? Yes, good varren."

He smiled to himself as they walked. Despite their initial encounter Tali seemed to have grown quite attached to the large varren, going so far as to play what amounted to fetch with him while Shepard had been taking a shower and changing according to Garrus. It made sense, he realized. On the Migrant Fleet there were no pets, not even any animals for food. And since Shepard was nice to Tali, Urz had apparently taken this to mean that the quarian was 'good people' and had become quite tame with her.

"You know you could probably make some good money with that beast in the pits," Zaeed mused.

"Don't worry, Tali," he said, heading off the objection he could already hear coming when her veiled head snapped up in the mercenary's direction. "I don't find animals hurting each other entertaining or a good revenue for profit."

Zaeed shrugged. "Suit yourself. Still sounds like easy money to me."

Finally they reached what was effectively the 'main hall'. Already the crowd of krogan was far larger than they'd seen to date. Grunt shouldered on ahead and was greeted by shouts and the loud impact of fists on his armored back and shoulders. Wrex stood at the center of the room, waiting. Just as before there was little ceremony when the elder krogan spoke.

"Krogans! Before you stands Urdnot Grunt, newest member of Clan Urdnot, and the first to slay a Thresher Maw in a millennium! Tonight we celebrate new blood and great triumph!"

The assembled krogans answered loudly. Wrex held up his hands until they had fallen silent once more aside from the slow murmur of the crowd. He pointed first at Shepard and then at the rest of the Normandy's crew.

"This human is Commander John Shepard, and he is Urdnot Grunt's sworn Battlemaster and leader of his krant. He and all his krant will be treated with the respect due to any member of Clan Urdnot!"

Rumblings of a different kind arose at this statement. Finally one of the braver warriors stepped forward, eyeing Shepard suspiciously as he spoke.

"The human brings a turian and a salarian into our Clan holdings, and claims to be the Battlemaster of a krogan warrior?"

"He claims nothing that has not been earned, warrior," Wrex said. "This human fought Saren Arterius while the Citadel burned around him. He has stood before not one, but two thresher maws on foot. Few krogan warriors can claim the same!"

"Spoken but not seen," the other krogan growled.

"It sounds like this whelp is challenging your worthiness to lead one of our warriors, Shepard," Wrex said, glancing at him.

"I wasn't aware I was going to have to deal with upstart challengers, Wrex," he shot back pointedly. His crew were shuffling nervously, hands edging towards concealed weapons and subtly moving to better positions.

The old Battlemaster shrugged. "It's the krogan way to adapt."

"Come on, human," the challenging krogan growled. "Show me how a weak alien is supposed to teach a krogan warrior the art of battle."

He took a gamble and decided to head this off at the pass. In a flash he withdrew the heavy pistol from his back and fired two quick shots. The heavy rounds impacted with a meaty thunk in the krogan's legs just below the knees, pitching the huge warrior forward as his legs went out from under him. One of the double-edged swords of dealing with krogan, they were extremely hardy and could heal from virtually anything. It meant they were extremely difficult to deal with on the battlefield, but in cases where you didn't actually want to kill them you didn't exactly have to hold back.

"Battle isn't about just brute strength and butting heads like dumb animals," Shepard said loudly, gun still in hand. "It's about dropping your opponent before he drops you, whatever it takes. Are there any other challengers or can we get on with the celebration?"

A rumble of approval went out around the room, two of Wrex's guards dragging the disabled krogan warrior out of the room and towards the medical facilities. Wrex nodded at him approvingly and within moments the celebration was in full swing.

It turned out krogan parties were rather simple affairs, involving large amounts of ryncol and loud music that consisted of heavy drum beats and driving bass notes. Half a dozen fights broke out within the first half hour of the celebrations but they seemed to be only minor scuffles that ended as soon as they began and were immediately followed by the flow of more ryncol. It wasn't long before the crew was slowly drifting around, interacting with other members of the Urdnot clan and enjoying the festivities.

Zaeed had quickly found himself a table and a few bottles of something that wouldn't render him unconscious after a single drink and was already trading war stories with some of the other krogans while Jacob and Garrus both listened in. Jack even seemed to be enjoying herself, pitting her biotics against some of the krogan's that shared the gift in feats and strength and skill while Samara looked on.

The biggest surprise was Mordin actually holding a conversation with a few krogan. Both parties looked more than a little unsure, but before long bother were speaking quickly. Wrex walked up behind where he was watching the festivities.

"Ah, our head doctor," Wrex said, nodding towards the krogan that Mordin was speaking with.

"You know Mordin once said he'd never met a krogan that could claim the title scientist."

Wrex laughed. "Shows you what he knows. How do you think we managed to nuke this planet into the state it is? Luck?"

"You have a point."

"Come on, the young warriors will have their fun. The old veterans know better than to over do it," his old friend said, motioning him towards a large table that had been set up next to Wrex's odd throne.

"Another good point. I was worried that all these aliens would cause an incident," Shepard said as he followed.

"Nah, it's good for them. We're too xenophobic as it is, the only ones that ever leave are the ones that go off to become mercs," Wrex said. "After your little display with that challenge I don't think anyone will be dumb enough to start something."

The two of them sat in amicable silence for awhile, watching their respective people interact. Urz had followed as always, curling up near Shepard's feet. He noticed that Tali had apparently found one of the Clan's mechanics, pointing at the tomkah they had ridden in earlier and clearly asking questions as quickly as the krogan could handle. Glancing down at the varren, Wrex snorted.

"You know that thing isn't going to leave you alone now. Varren find someone they like, they stick," Wrex said.

"Been getting that impression... how long do varren live anyways? I mean I wasn't expecting to pick up a pet here."

"They live as long as anything else on Tuchanka. Until something else kills them," the krogan said.

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "And if nothing does?"

"Then a damn long time. I'd guess this one is at least half as old as you are, maybe older."

"Great," he sighed.

A krogan warrior went sailing through the air to land with a crash, but before Shepard could investigate he had pushed himself back to his feet and given a yell of triumph. Apparently 'how far the krogan would fly' was a new game. He shook his head.

"Glad to see you've done well for yourself here, Wrex. Finally trying to accomplish your goal," he said after a few more minutes had passed.

"You made it possible, Shepard. Heard rumors that you were dead but never believed them. Glad they were wrong."

"Only half wrong, like I said before."

"Yea. You came out of it, though, one way or the other. And now you're on another crazy quest," the krogan said, amusement lacing his voice.

"You know me. Wish you could tag along, Wrex, but it looks like you've got plenty to do here," he replied.

The Battlemaster nodded. "I miss the old days, finding big dangerous things and shooting them with even bigger guns. Much simpler. But I know the Reapers are coming. If the krogan people are going to survive, we have to be united."

"Ironic, really. I was an Alliance soldier. Then I was a Council Spectre. But the two people I know of that are actually preparing for the Reapers are a krogan that nobody wanted me to let join my crew and the leader of the terrorist organization we spent a great deal of effort trying to destroy," Shepard said ruefully.

"You'll get the job done anyways, and I'll do what I can here. Whatever happens, we won't go down without a fight."

Wrex reached out and poured a drink, downing the harsh liquid in a single gulp. He glanced over at Shepard and smirked.

"So you and the quarian, huh?"

It was all Shepard could do not to spew out his own drink, something that are approaching bourbon but likely had no proper name. He looked at the battle-scarred krogan and blinked rapidly a few times, trying to make sure he'd heard correctly.

"The hell?"

Wrex's laugh was deep and booming. "Over a thousand years of experience, Shepard. Counts for something. Doubt most the other saw it, Shaman maybe, crafty old one there."

"It's a... recent development," Shepard said after gathering his thoughts.

"Hrmph. You always spent plenty of time with her on the old ship, makes sense to me. Once I saw the two of you here it was pretty clear. You forget that krogans haven't had as long to forget those base instincts the other races have," Wrex pointed out. "Tilt of the head, way someone leans. Mates stand a certain way, shielding the female. Saw you do it, had a good laugh."

"You're a real bastard sometimes."

"No arguments there," the krogan agreed. "Rest of your crew doesn't know?"

He shook his head. "No, when I say recent I mean in the last few days it... came to light. I didn't make it out of dying without a scratch, Wrex. I've needed her to help keep me on the right path."

"That's what a mate is for, Shepard, at least it is on Tuchanka. Maybe humans are different. All about survival here. Your mate was the one you could trust to have your back, keep your head on straight."

"Guess we're not so different after all, then," Shepard said, raising his glass in a casual toast.

"Indeed."

Their agreeable silence continued awhile longer, watching his crew move between each other and some of the krogans. He saw Samara break up a few fights, even get into a brief one herself. The brevity due to the fact that her would be assailant went flying half way across the room in the second it took for him to try and attack. After about an hour he noticed Mordin standing alone once more, checking his omni-pad repeatedly. Finally the salarian approached the two of them, brow furrowed.

"Something wrong, doc?" Shepard asked.

"Very. Wasn't sure until reached planetside. No longer STG, but still hear things, keep tabs on old team. Apologize for interrupt Urdnot Wrex but do you know Clan Werlyoc? Large supporters of Blood Pack mercenaries?" Mordin asked in his rapid fire speech.

Wrex nodded and gave a grunt of disapproval. "Every worst thing about krogan society, conveniently for sale."

"Received word that former assistant, Maelon, was missing from posting some time ago. Since gaining access to some computer systems here on Tuchanka have found reports of Blood Pack mercenaries being seen with salarain. Matches Maleon's description."

"Wait, your assistant went missing? Why didn't you say something before?" Shepard asked.

"Was irrelevant to mission. Very busy, Collectors, other crisis. Didn't have enough data to act even if suspicious. Believe he was kidnapped for his... medical knowledge. Genophage," Mordin said finally.

"You mean this salarian knows about the genophage? As in a way to cure it?" Wrex asked. His tone was suddenly very clear and concise.

"No no. Well, yes, does know about genophage. But cure? No. If information is correct, though, know where Maelon is located. Your 'Head Scout' mentioned seeing Blood Pack mercenaries taking salarian into a Clan Werlyoc holding north of encampment. No other reports of salarians on Tuchanka. Evidence points there. Apologize for inconvenience but I must go investigate this, Shepard."

"Not alone you won't. Wrex, do you know where he's talking about?" he asked.

"I think so, it's an old hospital building a few clicks to the north east. You'll want to wait until morning, though. As bad as Tuchanka is during the day, its far worse at night," Wrex warned.

Mordin nodded. "Agreed. If possible would like to leave as early as possible. Salarians not adapted to extreme physical punishment, likely would do poorly in krogan care."

"So much for a relaxing celebration and then back to work, huh?"

Wrex chuckled once more.

"You wouldn't have it any other way, Shepard."


	23. Chapter 22

The aftermath of a krogan celebration very much resembled a battlefield the day later. A dozen krogans, and Zaeed, were slumped wherever they fell after a long night of drinking. There were fresh cracks in the walls and numerous furnishings were either damaged or upended. At least no one seemed to be dead.

"Very interesting opportunity to observe krogans in a non-hostile setting," Mordin said.

"Little different than lab reports and population statistics?" Shepard asked.

The salarian nodded. "Quite."

Along with Zaeed, Jacob and Jack had also hit the available human safe alcohol fairly hard and Grunt had learned early of the joys of ryncol. For his part Shepard had taken it easy, memories of the night on Illium making him lose his taste for excessive drinking. Most of the others either hadn't partaken or at least did so in moderation.

Wrex had provided them with a tomkah once more to approach the Weyrloc base and he'd chosen his team carefully, along with Mordin he had asked Thane and Kasumi to accompany him. Assaulting a stronghold of krogan warriors head on wasn't his idea of a good plan, this called for speed and stealth. They would infiltrate the hospital complex, extract Mordin's student if possible, and make an exit before Weyrloc's forces could come to bear on their small team. For once it resembled something he'd actually been trained for a lifetime ago when he'd been an N7 soldier in the Alliance.

"Head to the tomkah and load up, we'll be rolling out in the next ten minutes," he told the others, pointing towards the waiting vehicle.

The team moved towards the tomkah, each doing a quick once over of their gear and leaving him standing next to Garrus. He looked at Shepard, jaw set in a tense line.

"Miranda is on planet, Shepard. She's your XO, she should be the one in charge," the turian grumbled.

"On the ship maybe," Shepard said. "But you're the one I rely on when we're on the ground. You've got the tactical experience and the ability to lead."

"Because that has turned out well so far."

Shepard arched an eyebrow. "You lead the LZ team when we hit the collector ship, didn't hear any complaints."

"Didn't give me time to think about it, then," Garrus replied.

Shepard shook his head. "I need my right hand, Garrus, and that's you. You're a leader, no matter what happened on Omega. I need to know that my people are in good hands."

"You're a stubborn bastard, Shepard," the turian said with a smirk. "We're at camp anyways, even if it is with a bunch of krogans. Guess I can't manage to screw up too badly."

"That's the spirit," he said, slapping his friend's shoulder with a smile. "Plus if _we_ screw this up, you've got to come rescue us."

"Ugh, don't get caught. Tali is already going to be pissed when she wakes up and realizes I let you go off without either of us," Garrus laughed, then eyed the commander. "I swear that girl has gotten worse than me about worry that you're going to get yourself killed."

"We'll be fine. I spent the better part of my career before this madness that is my life training for these sorts of ops. Simpler times," Shepard said.

"So you say. Good luck, Boss. Keep your head down."

He gave his turian friend a final smirk in response before pulling on his helmet. After the hot, dusty day yesterday he'd asked Miranda to bring it down in case they went out again, which turned out to be a good idea.

Shepard chuckled to himself as he climbed up the ramp into the tomkah, recalling Garrus' comment about Tali. She had spent hours last night talking to the krogan mechanic that apparently kept the Urdnot war machines in working order, even going so far as to poke around the guts of one of the multi-purpose tanks exploring its inner workings. During their brief conversation she had marveled at the redundancies and ruggedness of the design, comparing it to a mechanical version of the very people that made them. The celebration had been winding down before the engineer had finally satiated her curiosity and returned to the quarters the crew had been provided.

The next morning Shepard had found her slumped on one of the simple couches that had been cleaned off in the main room of the 'alien quarters' as he'd taken to calling them. Urz had been sprawled next to her on the floor. Rather than wake her or any of the other still unconscious crew members he had simply assembled the team he would need. He would never doubt Tali's combat abilities, she and Garrus had seen him through hell and back, but the operation they were undertaking demanded experienced infiltrators which would have left her and Garrus holding position at the transport anyways. If they were lucky his team would have Mordin's protege and be on the way back before anyone even woke up.

"So is everyone clear on this op?" Shepard asked once they had all settled in and the transport had begun moving.

"Infiltrate. Extract. Minimal engagement possible," Mordin said, summing up the operation succinctly.

"Do we have an idea of the layout of the facility? It will be difficult to avoid patrols otherwise," Thane asked.

The spectre opened his omni-tool and transmitted data to his three companions before elaborating. "The Clan Urdnot head scout gave me this information on the floor plan and what he knew of Weyrloc's defenses, apparently they lost a scout recently trying to get more information but another was able to return with this. It's not perfect, but it should be enough. Their barracks is located here on the upper floor, while there is a large power draw on the lower level."

"Best guess is we'll find Maelon on one of the bottom floors," he continued. "While they are extremely aggressive it doesn't like they're terribly disciplined, there's a mix of Weyrloc soldiers and Blood Pack mercs. We can make entry at this side door where patrols are light."

A rough three dimensional building plan was glowing on each of their omni-tools, showing the various entrances to the facility as well as the location of any confirmed enemy forces. The hospital resembled a reinforced bunker more than a medical facility to his eyes, but he wasn't going to question krogan design. He gestured to Kasumi.

"I'm taking point, I want you right behind me. If we have to engage you and I take the first shots. The Locusts' built in sound suppressors might keep us undetected for a little while longer."

"You know usually if I'm seen at all I've already failed, Shep," Kasumi said.

"That's most covert ops, difference between that and thievery is you can't just bug out if it goes bad. You adapt and roll with it," Shepard replied. "Thane will be taking up the rear and providing cover. Don't hesitate to engage if you think we're compromised."

Each of them nodded in turn before going back to their private musings as the tomkah bounced and rocked over the terrain. Outside Tuchanka's harsh sun was just beginning to make its presence known with a faint yellow glow on the eastern horizon. It wouldn't be long before the stifling heat of the day returned to accompany the ever present wind. As planet's went this one definitely wasn't going to be on the top of any tourist's list.

Shepard closed his eyes and tried to relax. Soon enough they'd be back into the thick of it.

Soon enough they found themselves crouched behind a heavy slab of stone in the predawn light. Kasumi was ahead, working at opening the entrance without setting off any alarms. Shepard shook his head and glanced over at Thane.

"Guessing this isn't exactly what you were expecting when you agreed to sign on," he said.

Thane shrugged. "Maybe. I am learning to adapt, both to working with a team and with unfamiliar situations. This will be the first time I've breached a building with the intention of bringing someone out alive."

"You'll get the hang of it," Shepard laughed.

"I suspect I will," the drell agreed.

A moment later Kasumi materialized next to them and gave the all-clear. They approached the door with weapons drawn and quickly slipped inside, no blaring alarms or angry krogan announcing their presence. The hospital resembled most the buildings he'd seen so far on Tuchanka, sturdy but suffering from years of neglect with a think layer of dirt coating the floor. At the very least they had the advantage of the fact that there weren't any complex security systems to worry about, only actual contact with enemy soldiers would give them away.

Shepard advanced down the first flight of stairs, Kasumi following just behind. At the landing they found a body laying face down and looking far worse for the wear. He was surprised to note, though, that it appeared to be a human male. Other than his team he hadn't seen another human since arriving on the krogan homeworld. Shepard grimaced and slipped down the next flight, checking to confirm the stairs were clear before returning to the landing.

"Looks like we're clear. Any idea what happened to this guy, Mordin?" he asked, gesturing towards the body.

"Hrm... human, male, early to mid-thirties. Numerous injection marks," the scientist said. Mordin crouched and opened his omni-pad, scanning the corpse and making small noises to himself before looking up and shaking his head.

He continued. "Odd, looks like test subject. Numerous organ failures, genetic mutation, and other factors led to death. Possibly used as control group in experiments. Humans genetically diverse, provide large amounts of data. Logical conclusion would be krogan research on how to counter-act genophage, markers here for areas targeted by genophage."

"Why would they test something like that on a human?" Kasumi asked, looking more than a little ill at the sight of the dessicated corpse. "Wouldn't something native make more sense?"

"As mentioned, human genetic diversity offers wide range of testing options. Early stages, later stages would likely involve test on local fauna. Probably varren. Would have to be careful, nasty bite," Mordin said.

"So you think they kidnapped Maelon to help them cure the genophage?" Shepard asked.

The salarian nodded. "Logical conclusion, if they discovered identity of members of my team then they could have surmised that Maelon would have the necessary knowledge to reverse engineer a cure. Not a bad assumption, was a very bright student."

He frowned, looking down at the dead human. While he understood the reasoning behind what had happened after the krogan rebellions Shepard still didn't agree with it. Between their encounters with numerous krogan mercenaries and his relationship with Wrex he had seen first hand the destruction the genetic plague had wrought upon the krogans. It had removed any chance to rise above the chaotic, tribal society they were by robbing them of any hope for a future.

"If they'd gone about it differently I might have encouraged them, but if they're kidnapping scientists and experimenting on prisoners we've got to put an end to this," Shepard said. "Let's keep moving."

At the next level Shepard raised his clenched fist at the sound of movement. Dropping into a crouch he made a quick glance around the corner: four vorcha wearing mismatched armor plates that marked them as Blood Pack. They were apparently arguing over a scrap of some sort of food. He met Kasumi's eyes and made a few quick hand signals, finally miming the number two, pointing at her, and motioning to the right. He tightened his grip on the SMG and counted off in his head, one, two, three.

Kasumi rolled out of cover at the same moment that he turned the corner. The first two shots caught each vorcha in the back of their heads before any of the enemy even noticed their presence. Their two companions hissed in alarm, bringing up battered looking assault rifles. Shifting his aim instantly Shepard squeezed off a quick burst that caught his target in the neck. Two more shots came from his right and dropped the last vorcha before a single return shot was fired.

Everyone remained still for a few long moments, weapons at the ready, listening for the sounds of tromping boots or wailing alarms but nothing came. The loudest sounds had come from the bodies of the sentries hitting the floor thanks to the Locusts' suppressors but there was always the risk that someone was close enough to hear the altercation.

"Okay, looks like we're good, move up," Shepard said, advancing on the fallen vorcha and doing a quick check on the enemy. The regenerative abilities of the vorcha were nearly a match for krogans, it always paid to be sure, but their shots had been clean.

Entering the next room they found medical equipment everywhere, but these weren't relics of a past time that the hospital had actually served patients before its abandonment, these were new machines. Sheets were draped over still forms laying on tables. Most were stained and dark. He motioned them forward when no enemies presented themselves, already knowing what they were going to find. Mordin approached and lifted one of the sheets before letting it fall back into place. He then activated the terminal next to the bed and began to read. When he spoke his voice was quiet, subdued. It was strange to hear him without the usual rapid-fire enthusiasm that they had come to know the scientist for.

"Female krogan. Sterile. Death from hemorrhaging due weakened vascular system... shows signs of extensive genetic mutation. No restraints. Volunteer. Sterile Weyrloc female willing to risk experimentation. Hoped for a cure. Pointless... pointless waste of life."

Shaking his head the salarian approached, smoothing the sheet with his hand. "Rest young mother. Find your gods. Find some place better."

"I didn't expect spirituality from you, Mordin," Shepard said, surprised.

He frowned. "Genophage project altered millions of lives. Then saw results. Ego, humility. Frailty of life. Size of universe. Explored religions after work completed. Different faiths, different races. No answers. So many questions."

"Humans would call that a crisis of faith. Trying to deal with a guilty conscience, the doctor who killed millions."

"Never. Killed with guns, knives, bombs, once even with farming equipment. But never with medicine," Mordin replied sharply.

Shepard shook his head. "Maybe not directly. But how many children were still born? How many young men went to become mercenaries and died on some nameless world because they had no hope for a future?"

"All simulations pointed to continuing krogan aggression. War. Extinction. Genophage was only option."

"I wasn't there, Mordin, and I can't pass judgment on you. I know that sometimes you have to make the better of two bad decisions," Shepard said. "But I have seen krogans from outside a microscope or a computer program. Wrex is proof that they have capacity for more than destruction."

"The krogan are similar to my people in some regards," Thane interjected. "We were elevated to a higher level of technology and removed from our planet. The difference lies in that we were raised to save ourselves from extinction. The krogan were elevated to save others from that fate. Once they had created a new monster, however, the Council had no idea how to reign it in."

"Was our own fault. Tried to fix it," Mordin said, nodding. "Came back here after work was done. Superiors said would assign other observers, but needed to see in person. Saw the results first hand, Shepard. Aware of the costs. Was still the only logical conclusion. Saved the most lives."

The spectre sighed and gestured towards the draped form of the dead krogan. "Tell that to her. Come on, let's find Maelon before someone actually cares that some vorcha haven't reported in."

Shepard felt hypocritical, calling out Mordin on his part in the genophage. Hadn't he taken lives knowing that there was only a chance it would result in more saved in the long run? The wreckage of the Purgatory burned in his minds eye. Every action had its costs. Having seen the havoc the genophage wrecked upon krogan society first hand, however, made it difficult for him to remain silent despite his misgivings.

Rooms of supplies and equipment but only minimal activity greeted them as they continued. The first real krogan patrol they encountered didn't even notice them despite passing within a few feet from where they crouched, pressed tightly against metal ordnance crates. They were lax and overconfident. Kasumi gestured towards her omni-tool and brought up the map contained within.

"We're at the lowest level. If Maelon is down here then he has to be nearby," she said.

"Stay alert, people. Final leg," he said and motioned forward.

They had been lucky thus far. Unfortunately luck could only take you so far. The room ahead was large, with a stone ramp circling from the right around the room to the final doorway with a pair of Blood Pack warriors standing guard. The high vantage point left little chance to avoid detection and krogan physiology made it amazingly difficult to kill one of them quietly; it simply took too much punishment to get the job done.

Shepard knelt, speaking quietly.

"Okay, we have two soldiers with a good view of the room, no way to sneak past. If we go in hot and Maelon's not in that room chances are we'll barely have time to extract before a few dozen krogan warriors come down on our position. Our other option is to double back and try to check the other floors to make sure he he isn't being held elsewhere."

"More time we're in increases the chance of getting caught," Kasumi said.

"Yes. Must make decision based on evidence available. Concentration of medical equipment, guards, suggest Maelon would be on this level," Mordin agreed. "We must take the chance."

Shepard nodded. "Okay. Here's the plan, we'll make a quick breach but don't open fire. If we get the drop on them and show them they're outgunned then maybe we can get these two to surrender. That should buy us a little time. Try to look menacing."

"Menacing isn't exactly a specialty of mine, Shep," Kasumi said.

"Well, now you get some practice. Go!"

They entered the room, weapons raised. Thane slid into a crouch behind one of the supporting columns, rifle braced against the side of the stone and pointed unwaveringly at one of the krogans while Kasumi and Mordin had their own weapons leveled at the other. For his part Shepard stood cockily in the center of the room, a pistol and SMG each in hand and pointed at one of the guards.

"Stand down, regeneration or not you'll never live long enough to take a shot if you raise those weapons," Shepard said.

The two warriors simply glared at him coldly for a few long moments. One of them was careful to keep his hand away from his weapon, rapping loudly on the door behind him. The heavy steel slid to the side almost immediately, revealing another krogan. The newcomer wore well-maintained silvered armor and a cruel smirk.

"Aliens. Our scouts reported an Urdnot tomkah near our perimeter, but I didn't expect even Wrex to stoop so low as to use aliens to do a krogan's work," the krogan said.

"Wrex has nothing to do with this. We're here for Maelon, the salarian you're holding. Turn him over and everyone walks out of here," he replied.

The krogan sneered, looking down at them with contempt. "I am the clanspeaker for Clan Weyrloc. Listen closely, alien... you are not worthy but you will earn the honor of being the first to fall under the new age of a grand krogan empire. The salarian will cure the genophage and Weyrloc Guld will lead us to our vengeance in the stars!"

Spreading his arms wide the clanspeaker continued to rant, not giving his audience a change to object. "Children will be frightened to sleep with tales of what the Blood Pack did to the last turian. We will keep salarians as slaves, feasting on their eggs as delicacies. The Council's precious Citadel will burn as our armies march across the void... we will grind the humans under foot and scatter to pathetic quarians like a flock of frightened birds."

Shepard wasn't certain if he was more appalled by the krogan's thirst for cruelty or his sheer blind arrogance, but either way the clanspeaker had apparently earned his title well, being far too fond of hearing his own voice. His eye was drawn to a piece of white pipe, exposed where the plaster on the wall had fallen away beneath the clanspeaker's feet. Orange-red stripes adorned it every few inches. A grim smile spread across the human's features.

"We will rebuild the world on the backs of the slaves of the other races-"

"You talk too much," Shepard cut him off, dropping the sight of his pistol and finding a single round into the exposed pipe. The hiss of gas escaped its pressurized containment was barely audible, but apparently enough that the two guards began to edge away slowly.

"Ha! The human cannot even hit a simple target," the krogan laughed, waving dismissively at them.

"Now try regenerating this."

The clanspeaker apparently smelled the gas in the same moment that Shepard squeezed the trigger again, his hateful eyes widening in surprise as the round struck the metal railing with a spark... and ignited the gas in a thunderous boom that engulfed the krogan in flame. He had time to give a gurgling cry before flying to smash into the nearby wall from the force of the blast, still smoldering. Thane's sniper rifle was the first sound that broke the following silence, taking one of the Weyrloc guards in the throat before he could fully bring his weapon to bear. It was like the starting gun of a race, causing the room to erupt in a torrent of mass accelerator rounds. Two more guards emerged from the other room at the sound of the explosion and immediately opened fire, the trailing edge of a shotgun blast causing Shepard's shields to flare.

Unfortunately for the krogans when someone already has their weapons pointed at you its difficult to raise your own, aim, and fire before the enemy responds in kind. Even moreso when that enemy is some of the best infiltrators and soldiers in the galaxy. The elevated position would have given their enemy an advantage if not for the fact that the second guard had barely taken aim before being caught by a twin bursts from both Shepard and Kasumi's SMGs. Each of the two newcomers to the fire fight fared little better, Thane's rifle staggering the first and leaving him open to Mordin's tech-grenade and the last quickly falling under the combined weight of their fire.

"Double time. If that didn't set off any alarms we've managed to sneak into the only clan of deaf krogan on Tuchanka," Shepard said.

They bolted up the platform and breached the last room, Shepard covering to the right while Thane took the left and the remaining pair followed. No further krogans waited them, however. Only a single salarian, his back to them, working at a large screen console filled with charts and data. Mordin stepped past Shepard, a frown creasing his features.

"Maelon. Alive. Unharmed. No evidence of restraints. No torture. Don't understand."

The other salarian turned, he was slightly taller than Mordin, with reddish skin and a narrower jaw. His face didn't look like that of the rescued captive, it held emotions far more unpleasant. Maelon pointed at his mentor.

"For such a smart man, professor, you always had trouble seeing evidence that disagreed with your preconceptions. What will it take to make you realize I'm here because I wish to be here?"

"But why?" Mordin asked, confused. It was a state clearly unfamiliar with him. "Data said was with Blood Pack. Just assumed."

Shepard interjected. "It think it's clear, Mordin. He wasn't kidnapped, he went with them. He's working on a cure voluntarily."

"Never expressed concerns over necessity of genophage when on research team. Why now? All this time?" the salarian addressed his student.

"How was I supposed to disagree with the great Doctor Solus? I was your student, I looked up to you as a mentor!"

"Looked up to me?" Mordin hissed, jabbing a finger at Maelon. "Experiments. Brutal. Live subjects, wild mutation. Your doing? Monstrous!"

The younger salarian waved dismissively. "We already have the blood of millions on our hands, Doctor. If it takes a little more to make this right then so be it. If I'm a monster it was because I was taught to be a monster!"

Shepard glanced at his companion. "Did you perform experiments on living subjects and desperate people, Mordin?"

"Never! Even genophage project, tests run on corpses, cloned tissue. Final strains tested on varren, never people. No. Never taught you... this, Maelon," he replied.

"And your hands are clean? It's fine, even if the ground is stained with the blood of millions?" Maelon asked. "Don't you see? We tried to play god and we failed! The galaxy isn't a more peaceful place. Geth attack the Citadel, batarians attack colonies in the Traverse... we justified our action by saying that a krogan population increase would bring war, but what if a strong krogan military could have prevented those things? Maybe your humans would never have lost Eden Prime or the geth would have been stopped before nearly destroying the Citadel."

"Supposition! Impossible to be certain," Mordin said.

Maelon frowned. "Maybe, but we decided we knew best. That this was what the krogan deserved. They could have been in a cultural renaissance now instead of fighting over fertile females or becoming pirates because they see no alternative! Now I'm going to fixed it no matter what it takes."

"Why Clan Weyrloc? Urdnot is clearly the most powerful clan on the planet now," Shepard interjected.

"Weyrloc was the only one with the resources and the will to use them. Urdnot Wrex wouldn't agree to the experiments I needed to advance the work."

"We're shutting this place down... this isn't a hospital. Its a butcher's shop," Shepad said.

Maelon snatched a pistol up from the desk beside him, hands shaking as he waved it between the assembled group. The salarian shook, his words high pitched and frantic.

"None of you understand. See the big picture. It doesn't matter!"

"This is over. No more experiments. No more blood," Mordin stated. His apprentice's attention snapped back to the older salarian just in time to see Mordin's fist impact his face, the gun clattering to the floor as Maelon fell back against desk. In a flash Mordin had draw his pistol and placed it under the younger man's chin. His voice was resigned.

"Unacceptable experiments. Unacceptable goals. Won't change. Have to kill you."

"No!" Shepard barked, quieting when he saw the salarian hesitate, Maelon trembling in his grip. "You're a doctor, Mordin. Not an executioner."

There was a moment of tension, thick and palpable, before Mordin released his grip. Maelon edged away slowly. The elder salarian sighed heavily.

"You're right. Not murderer. Thank you, Shepard."

Maelon's wide eyes relaxed slightly. "What will it take for you to admit what we did was wrong? The genophage must end, professor."

"Maybe. But not like this," Mordin said, not looking at his former student as he tapped at the console's controls, shutting down the systems one by one. "Go, Maelon. Do not wish to see you again. Outcome might differ."

The younger salarian gave them all a disgusted look but stalked from the room, shaking his head. They stood in silence as Mordin worked, finally only a single image remained on the screen while Shepard motioned for Kasumi to go recon the outer room to make sure they weren't about to have company.

"Data, Shepard. Experiments... horrible, but science was sound. If genophage is ever to be cured, would be a starting point far in advance of starting from scratch," the doctor finally said.

"It's tainted... but the cost was great for the knowledge," Shepard said, finally nodding reluctantly. "Save it. Maybe one day something terrible can be used for something better."

Mordin nodded and continued his work, compressing and storing the catalogs of medical information on his omni-tool, leaving Shepard to scan the room. No bodies were present here, but he dark stains that had soaked into the stone floor showed that it wasn't always the case. In the old vids from Earth humans had always thought they possessed a monopoly on cruelty and depravity. Human history had its Vlad Tepes and Josef Mengele, but the asari, turians, and salarians had walked the stars and waged war when humans still thought that their planet was a flat. All races had their monsters.

"Done. One day, maybe..." the scientist said. "Apologize, Shepard. Misunderstood mission parameters, no abduction."

"It doesn't matter. One way or the other this had to end. Let's get out of here, this place makes my skin crawl the longer I'm here," Shepard replied.

"It is said among my people that when a soul and body are not one, the body is capable of great darkness without the soul's knowledge... but this is like a body with no soul at all," Thane agreed.

They exited the 'lab', stepping over the fallen krogan they'd brought down to gain entrance. Kasumi shimmered into existence next to him, breathing heavily.

"We've got incoming, Shep. Big angry incoming!" she panted.

Storming into the room through the same entrance they had used earlier was a massive krogan warrior, his armor adorned with numerous symbols and even pieces of bone. He looked up at Shepard, his eyes flashing with anger and hate. Behind him half a dozen other krogan warriors followed. Shepard's eyes narrowed when he noticed Maelon at the rear of the pack, hesitating and finally turning to run back the way he'd come.

"Human!" the krogan bellowed. "You dare stand before Weyrloc Guld? I have bathed in glory of war before your race had even thought of the glory of the stars! Now you try to destroy the key to the krogan people's ascension to our rightful place in the galaxy?"

"My name is Commander John Shepard, and I don't try anything... I do. Your experiments, your atrocities, are over. It only makes me sicker that someone who claims to be a leader of their people would allow this to continue."

Weyrloc Guld's response was simple, a primal bellow. "Destroy them!"

His team wasn't caught unprepared, already behind cover when the first shots rang out. Thane continued to display his unshakable calm, standing from his crouched position for a brief moment to snap off a shot that dropped one of the warriors to a knee and disappearing from view once more before the return fire could track him. This all didn't mean, however, that they were in a good position.

"We've got to end this fast, we don't have the firepower to take on an army of krogans," Shepard yelled over the din, Mordin nodding next to him. Assault rifles were chewing away at the edges of their cover and the room itself shook when a powerful warp blast slammed into the stone wall above them. It seemed Weyrloc Guld might be ruthless and crazy, but he was also a biotic. Always a great combination.

Shepard unslung the massive rifle from his back and readied it, motioning to Thane with an 'over his head' hand gesture, making sure Mordin saw the same. They each waited a half-second and sprung into action, Thane snapping off three quickly aimed shots while Mordin hurled a tech-grenade that blanketed half the room in a burst of fire. While only one of Thane's rounds hit, the sudden attack had the desired of affect: a momentary lull in the return fire.

He scanned the room and found his target, one of the warriors slapping a round magazine into a heavy grenade launcher. Using his brief respite he drew a bead and fired, the hyper-accelerated punching right through the weapon in the krogan's hands and causing the ammunition within to detonate. Mordin immediately threw out another grenade that detonated with a subdued hiss... super-cooled gas freezing the liquid in the humid air in an instant.

"Go!"

Kasumi materialized once more, pouring a torrent of fire into the back of one of the warriors to one side and diving behind one of the support columns while Shepard vaulted over the railing, landing heavily. He chambered another magazine into the rifle and brought it up, firing a round into Weyrloc Guld from only a few meters away. The shot staggered the powerful warrior that was already covered in a thin layer of frost, but for once the Widowmaker didn't fully penetrate the thick armor and equally tough, weathered hide.

Around him the krogan roared, half in battle-lust, half in surprise at the sudden assault. The glow of biotic energy tickled at the edge of his vision as Thane unleashed his own abilities, while Mordin was laying down a steady torrent of fire with his SMG. Kasumi dodged from pillar to pillar, evading the sluggish return fire and whittling away at their opponents. It seemed the clan leader was Shepard's responsibility.

Weyrloc Guld surged forward in a mountain of armored plates and leathery skin. He worked the action on the rifle and fired another round that ripped off the heavy plating that covered one shoulder but it wasn't enough to stop the ton of weight barreling at him. Dealing with an ancient, enraged krogan Battlemaster was easier said than done... and he hadn't counted on what amounted to an anti-vehicle rifle not being up to the job. He blocked the downward swing of Guld's battle rifle with his own, but still his feet left the ground, slamming him into the wall with a grunt. The krogan swung again, the blow knocking the rifle from Shepard's grasp. He responded by bringing both hands down on the top of his enemy's rifle, sending it clattering to the floor was well.

"This is how it ends, human? You pathetic apes cannot match a krogan warrior in single combat," Guld said, ramming his shoulder forward to pin Shepard against the wall, his fanged maw inches from the spectre's face. His breath stank but the weight crushing him was a far more immediate concern.

"Be damned if I don't try," Shepard grunted.

Using the fact that the krogan had him pinned to the wall to his advantage he brought up both knees hard into the other warrior's gut with enough force to knock Guld back. He slid downward, narrowing missing a biotically enhanced punch that powdered stone where his head had been. A hard jab at the krogan's neck staggered him once more, but Shepard wasn't able to avoid the hook that took him in the side, knocking the wind out of him even through the heavy armor plating. Another quickly followed, catching him in the side of the head and making him slump back against the wall.

"Just as I said. Pathetic," Guld said and hooked his fingers in the curved pauldron of his armor and pulled Shepard to his feet.

He rolled his tongue in his mouth, the coppery taste of blood greeting his senses. Through clenched teeth Shepard hissed.

"Still got one surprise left."

The odd comment gave Weyrloc Guld enough pause for Shepard to gather himself. Reaching down he tried to yank up the same feelings he'd had on board the collector vessel, the swarming husks and surge of anger he'd felt when he saw claws reaching for Tali. Some small part of his brain sprung to life once more and his body suddenly surged with an azure glow. Shoving away from the wall with his left hand Shepard struck out with a vicious upper-cut that caught Guld by surprise with its speed and intensity.

A human punching a krogan, even with a gauntleted fist, was usually an exercise in futility. Add a few hundred extra pounds of force thanks to a strong biotic field, however, and the results were quite different. Guld's head snapped up and the krogan's feet left the ground for a moment before he fell backwards with a loud crash. Guld wasn't out of the fight, though, not yet. He struggled to his feet, blood running from his lips, and advanced towards Shepard once more with a growl. The spectre shook his head violently and forced away the sharp pain behind his eyes. He reached behind him and yanked the heavy combat knife free from its sheath.

"Let's try this again."

The krogan only growled once more and charged. This time Shepard was able to step aside, ducking under a wide swipe of the warrior's arm and delivered a hard kick to his leg and send him off balance to prevent retaliation. With the warlord staggering Shepard was finally able to act instead of react, leaping onto the krogan's back and grabbing tightly onto the neck of his armor, jamming the knife between two of the plates. His opponent roared and turned, trying to bash his attacker into the wall. A quick elbow knocked Shepard off, yanking the blade free in the process. Guld turned to face him, blood oozing slowly down his side. Shepard turned to catch the next blow on his heavy shoulder plating, negating some of the force and brought the knife down on the joint of the krogan's arm in a swift stab.

Shepard grunted, absorbing another heavy blow to the stomach from the warrior's good arm. blow. He reached up and grabbed the top of Guld's head-plate, leaning into the blow and growling low in his throat.

"Die, you son of a bitch."

He lashed out with a head butt, jerking the clan leader's head back and then striking with the blade, ramming it deep into the side of the krogan's neck and jerking outwards with a yell. Blood splattered the floor and Weyrloc Guld's weight pitched forward, almost catching Shepard beneath his bulk.

The human was left breathing heavily, head ringing, a sharp pain in his side that was probably a broken rib. It took a moment for his vision to clear from the narrow battle focus his mind had been locked in. Shepard still held the dripping knife in hand when he saw the krogan warriors standing in the doorway, weapons raised. To the side Thane, Mordin, and Kasumi all stood with weapons braced and pointed at the doorway.

His rifle was a good meter away, and while he was quick he doubted he could draw the pistol at his hip before the Weyrloc soldiers opened fire. Shepard was running over options in his head as the stand off continued, until the lead krogan warrior broke the silence.

"Weyrloc Guld died at the hands of a human. Hrmph," he grunted. "Are you from the Urdnot camp, human?"

Shepard nodded slowly. "I'm Commander Shepard, I came from Urdnot's camp but on my own accord."

"Weapons down," the krogan ordered, but surprisingly to his own men rather than his team. "I've heard the name Shepard. Spectre. We kill you and we piss of Urdnot Wrex and the Council... with Guld dead the Blood Pack will split. I'm not stupid."

"We're just going to let them-" another krogan began, only to be cut off by a hard backhand from the first.

"Let them? Ha! The_ human_ just killed a Battlemaster in hand to hand combat. You want to try him too, whelp? Seems to me he just proved who deserves to live."

"You're going to let us walk out of here?" Shepard asked.

"Walk? No. You'd better run. My men won't follow you but I won't promise anyone else in this base won't decide to kill you," the krogan said. "We didn't all agree with Guld's plan or his little pet salarian mad scientist. But he was our clan leader."

"Move out, team. Back to the transport," he ordered, watching as each of his team slowly edged around the gathered krogan. Glancing at the lead krogan he nodded in thanks.

"What about the salarian?"

The krogan shrugged. "With Guld dead he'll have to find some other clan stupid enough fund his experiments. Or he'll take up with the Blood Pack... they never had a problem with his methods. Too many of them enjoyed it, I think. Heard him babbling when he came to find Guld, probably trying to run for the Blood Pack base a click north of here on foot. Will probably make it, not too many predators out this time of day."

Shepard said nothing more, retrieving his rifle and sliding the knife back into its sheath. The assembled krogan watched him leave with a mixture of respect and hostility. They might have respected his defeat of the elder krogan, but he was also still the one that had just decapitated their clan.

Catching up with the others they wordlessly moved through the complex, no longer worrying about stealth and instead focusing on a hasty exit. They saw only a few more krogan as they neared the exit, but none moved to engage them. He paused at the exit and glanced back.

"Shep, we're done here. Let's move before angry krogans change their minds," Kasumi urged.

He gestured towards the transport. "All three of you load up and tell them to keep the engine running and the guns hot. One last thing that needs to be taken care of here."

"Mission complete, Shepard. No reason to linger," Mordin interjected.

"Move! That's an order. We roll out in five."

The thief and scientist reluctantly did as they were told, jogging towards the tomkah. Thane hesitated for a moment, meeting Shepard's gaze and nodding once before he followed behind the others, keeping the rifle resting easily in his grasp just in case. Shepard turned and jogged up the stairs, quickly reaching the top floor without encountering anyone else.

He stepped onto the roof and checked his HUD's compass, turning to the north and crouching next to the low wall that ringed the top of the building. The Widowmaker was heavy in his hands as the barrel extended and the sight popped up. A quick pan across the landscape easily identified the slim, running form headed towards a bunker like structure a short distance away. Shepard placed his cheek against the butt of the gun and dropped the crosshairs over Maelon. He'd been telling the truth, earlier. Mordin wasn't a murderer, despite the things he'd done. The spectre couldn't say the same for himself. But then what price to prevent a repeat of the sick travesty they'd just walked through, desperate people and unwilling subjects dying in agony? The answer came with a slow exhale and a jerk against his shoulder as he finger squeezed the trigger.

Even at a considerable distance there was little delay in the time it took for a mass accelerator weapon to close the distance between firer and target. The moment he felt the heavy rifle push against his shoulder Maelon's fleeing form jerked, spun, and crumbled to the ground lifelessly. Shepard's mouth was set in a thin line. He touched the side of the Widowmaker, the deadly weapon collapsing once more. Not looking back he turned and headed towards the stairs and the waiting tomkah below.

"Now we're done here."


	24. Chapter 23

The return trip was mostly a quiet one, everyone processing what had happened over the past few hours. Mordin looked deep in thought while Thane maintained his air of calm meditation. The drell's even disposition even under fire was surprising even for a group of trained individuals like Shepard and his team. Once upon a time he might have found it slightly disconcerting, now it was just another item to note on a long list of oddities about his haphazard group of specialists. He left each of them to their contemplations.

Instead Shepard winced and levered himself to his feet, slowly making his way to the back of the tomkah. The tinge in his side whenever he took a breath spoke of what was most likely a broken rib to go along with the assortment of bruises that he was sure were rapidly developing. All in all it was still far better than most humans managed after a fight with a krogan warrior. He eased himself down next to Kasumi. The thief was tying and untying a thread, staring down at it intently.

They sat in silence for a few long moments before she finally spoke.

"Hey, Shep. You look like hell."

He chuckled. "Yea, I know. I"m sure the bruises don't help either."

"Very funny," Kasumi replied, smiling faintly.

"I try, even get it right sometimes. What about you? You okay?"

"Fine. No... no I'm not," the thief said, contradicting herself. "I'm a thief, Shepard. Sure I've killed before, it's a dangerous galaxy. But that? That was messed up... medical experiments and angry krogans, biotics flying everywhere. I think I fired more shots today than I have in my entire life up to now."

"Guess Cerberus didn't mention that part when they offered the job, huh?" Shepard asked.

"Oh they said the usual: 'high risk', 'hazard pay', etc. But its not just the fighting... it's everything. People trying to kill you, sick experiments, crazy bug monsters. I can barely count the amount of time I've been on the Normandy in months and I'm already wondering if I'm going to go crazy before its over. But you've been doing it for years."

Shepard shrugged. "As odd as it sounds, you get used to it. My career in the Alliance had some... interesting parts, but only with the incident with Saren did it get this crazy. Now it just seems, well, normal. It's not for everyone, though, Kasumi. If it gets to be too much then tell me, I'll tell Cerberus you've fulfilled your contract and you can get out, the Normandy isn't a prison."

"Not going to get rid of me that easily, Shep," Kasumi said. The thief's smile was genuine this time. "Besides, if I leave who is Tali going to talk to? Samara is like a zillion years old and somehow I don't see her and Miranda becoming bestest friends. We won't even mention Jack."

The spectre smirked. "So you're going to stay on a life or death mission because my chief engineer would be lonely?"

"And because it's something that needs doing. This isn't about the money or the thrill of it... we're saving the galaxy. Who can walk away from that?" Kasumi said more seriously. "I'll adapt, just takes me a little more than the rest of your dirty dozen. Being a thief is a lot... cleaner."

He nodded. What they did were things that didn't make into the docu-vids or the fictional crowd-pleasers... it was violent, dangerous, and skirted the lines between right and wrong far too often. It was easy to forget after awhile what people from the outside looking in would think seeing what they did. The average citizen didn't want to think of the blood that was spilled in maintaining the status quo. Shepard thought of Liara, his fists tightening before forcing himself to relax.

"I'm glad to have you on the team, Kasumi, but don't let it get to you. I've seen people that were changed, and not for the best. I don't want to see it happen again."

"Everyone changes. But I'm a big girl, I'll manage. I'll go cry on Kelly's shoulder if I really need to. That'll make her day," Kasumi grinned.

"I'm sure. I think she feels a little left out, apparently no one bothered to mention that a bunch of soldiers, criminals, and covert ops specialists weren't the kind to volunteer information," Shepard said. "She tries, though, and does seem to actually care. More than I could say for most the military shrinks we had to cycle through back in the day."

"Mmhmm. For a ship crewed by people from a pro-human terrorist organization everyone is pretty polite. Though that one comm tech is always watching me when I'm on the CIC, and I don't mean he's looking at my hands either."

He frowned, glancing at the thief. "If it's a problem I'll deal with it."

"You know, Garrus said something similar. Having you two around is like having two big brothers. That are capable of killing people with spoons. And angry looks," Kasumi said. "But I'll tell you the same thing I told him, I can take care of myself."

"Wouldn't be on my crew if you couldn't, doesn't mean you can't ask for help dealing with the occasional idiot."

Kasumi shrugged. "If it really becomes an issue I'll tell you. I'll have to, probably. I think Garrus' solution involved an airlock."

"Never said mine wouldn't. But I'd at least ask him a few questions first," Shepard laughed, pushing himself to his feet. He felt Kasumi tap lightly on his arm, causing him to glance back.

"Thanks, Shep."

"Anytime, Kasumi."

The tomkah continued to chew up the ground, Tuchanka's sun by now high in the sky scorching the surface with its rays. Every now and then they'd hit another hard bump that jostled him in his seat, causing Shepard to wince once more. Taking the armor off was going to be a painful ritual when they returned to the Normandy. He noticed Mordin watching him as he rolled his shoulder, trying to ease the ache.

"Damage severe?" the salarian asked.

"Nothing permanent," Shepard said. "Lots of bruises, probably a rib fracture by the feel of it."

"Impressive. Cybernetic enhancment extremely useful in such circumstances. Similar blows to non-augmented human specimen would likely have resulted in concussion and possible internal damage."

"Lucky me," he drawled.

Mordin nodded. "Quite. Was also unaware of biotic potential. Extranet files, dossier, did not mention biotic ability."

He arched an eyebrow at his companion. "You have a dossier on me?"

"Of course. STG has dossiers on all notable figures in various governments, still have access. Seemed wise to investigate people would be working for," Mordin explained. "Will have to report failure of investigation, however. No mention of biotics."

"Not exactly a screw up on their part. Never had biotic abilities before or even the potential for them. Something to do with how Cerberus brought me back and their meddling got me this little 'perk'."

"Interesting. Very interesting..." Mordin muttered, opening his omni-tool and tapping quickly at the display.

This new bit of information apparently gave the doctor something to focus on. He wasn't sure how Mordin would deal with the revelations of the past few hours, his experience with salarians was limited, but thus far he seemed to be managing quite well. Still, his student proved that salarians weren't immune to losing touch with reality.

The better part of an hour passed before the tomkah finally rolled into the Urdnot camp, grinding to a halt in the loading area. Shepard jumped down from the ramp, landing with a grunt, and watched the rest of his team do the same. He noticed Wrex approach, a pair of Urdnot guards trailing behind.

"Shepard."

"Wrex."

The krogan grinned toothily. "I need to have you around more often. Bring a strong new warrior into the clan, then you take care of that Uvenk idiot for me. Now I get word that you killed Weyrloc Guld."

"News travels fast."

"Tuchanka's a dirtball, Shepard, but it's still a dirtball with modern communications," Wrex said.

"Point. I'm guessing Guld's death isn't going to be mourned here?" he asked.

"Celebrated is more like it. Guld was a supporter of the Blood Pack and a major opponent of what we're trying to do here... with him gone Clan Weyrloc will be in chaos. One good strike and we can absorb them along with the survivors of Clan Gatatog."

"Wish I could stay and help you out some more but I've got my own mission, Wrex. I'm sure Miranda has completed loading any supplies by now. We'll have to be burning out of here soon," Shepard said. "Wish you could come with us."

"Makes two of us," Wrex agreed. "As long as I can keep these idiots in line you'll be welcome to Tuchanka, though. I know the storm is coming. If the rest of the galaxy wants to stick their heads in the sand so be it. The krogan will be ready, Shepard."

"It's good to know someone has my back, Wrex. Good luck," he said, extending his hand.

The krogan grasped his forearm and returned the grip firmly. "Good luck to you as well, my friend. May your enemy's screams sing of your victory."

Breaking the grip the two warriors exchanged looks, parting ways once more: Shepard towards the landing bay, Wrex towards his seat of power. Each knew that there was a good chance the other wouldn't live to see their next meeting, but neither spoke of it. It was simply understood. They would both do what was necessary for their people. Shepard tapped his wrist and activated his line to the Normandy.

"EDI, I'm back. Please tell Miranda to have everyone ready for dust off in fifteen minutes. Are the supplies we purchased loaded?"

"Affirmative, Commander. Loading was completed approximately one hour ago," the AI responded. "I will inform Operative Lawson immediately."

He turned to his team. "You heard. Take care of anything last minute and meet at the landing pad in fifteen."

He headed towards the quarters they'd been assigned last night, holding his helmet in one hand and rubbing a hand across his head. A good shower was definitely in order first thing once he reached the Normandy, assuming he could avoid getting ambushed by Chakwas. Shepard stepped into the room and was almost knocked over when over a hundred pounds of eager varren smacked into his legs. Stumbling he looked down to see Urz gazing up at him expectantly.

"Hey, Urz. Ah... good boy? Miss me?" he said, reaching down and scratching the beast on the top of its head.

"He's not the only one," another voice answered, an edge of annoyance coming through the faintly synthetic tone. "I can't believe you left me here asleep to go on a mission."

Tali emerged from one of the rooms, sliding a tool kit into a small carry sack. Between her voice and the sharp, tense movements of her walk it wasn't hard for him to figure out that she wasn't pleased. He smiled sheepishly, trying to brush it off.

"It wasn't bad, Tali... nobody even got shot. Well nobody on our team at least."

"It doesn't mean that- Keelah, Shepard, your face! Not bad?" she said suddenly, approaching him more quickly now. Some of the anger was gone from her stance, if not completely erased.

He reached up and lightly touched the side of his face, grimacing slightly at the tenderness there.

"I got a little banged up, nothing I won't heal from. It's superficial."

The quarian reached into the bag and produce a mechanic's mirror for checking beneath equipment too heavy or awkward to move, holding it up to his face. Taking a look at his reflection he frowned. His right cheek was scratched where his helmet had rub against him when Guld's fist had connected with his head, and the entire area and his right eye were turning a mottled shade of black and purple. It was definitely going to be felt the next day.

"Wow, Kasumi wasn't kidding when she said I looked like hell."

"What did you do?" she demanded.

"Hey, Boss, looks like you made it back. Miranda says - whoa," Garrus interrupted, walking into the room and catching sight of the commander. "Damn, Shepard. Trying to catch up to me in the ugly race?"

"The sympathy is appreciated," Shepard said dryly. "And I'll be fine, I just got a little too close to the Weyrloc clan leader."

Tali jabbed a finger at the turian. "Don't think you're innocent either, you let him go off without us."

"Hey, his reasoning was sound. And so was your sleep," Garrus smirked.

"Big blue _bosh'tet_," Tali grumbled.

"Look, you obviously came here to tell me something, Garrus. What was it?" he asked in an effort to distract the attention from his recent pummeling.

"Oh, yea. Miranda said that everything is loaded and secure, most the team already left in the first shuttle. They're just waiting on us."

"Let's get moving then," he urged.

It was clear Tali still wanted to deliver a piece of her mind, but was willing to wait, and for his part Garrus looked amused by the whole situation. Moving through the Urdnot camp he noticed the occasional respectful nod from one of the Urdnot warriors as he passed. Apparently they had made quite the impression in the last few days. Before long they reached the bare bones docking facility that serviced the encampment.

"Commander," Miranda greeted, only arching an eyebrow at his bruises. "We're ready to move out if you are."

"I am. Another day at the rate I'm going and Tuchanka is going to start keeping pieces of me," he chuckled.

His XO nodded, standing in the doorway of the shuttle as he approached. The sand that was blowing through the open bay doors above them already had him wishing for a shower once more.

"Then we'd best depart as soon as possible. What about that?"

"What about what?"

Miranda pointed behind him. There, seated on his haunches, was Urz. The varren had followed them all the way from their quarters just as he had since yesterday and was now a few steps behind him waiting for Shepard to proceed. His secondary translucent eyelids blinked a few times, his body itself wagging slightly with each pant, watching intently.

"Ah hell... forgot about that," he mumbled.

"You made nice with it, Shepard. Your responsibility. What is it you humans say? 'It followed me home'?" Garrus asked, mandibles curled in a grin.

Tali crouched next to the varren, scratching under its chin. "What will he do if we leave him behind? That seems... cruel. He's been so nice."

"Well there's always..." Miranda trailed off, tapping the pistol at her him.

He frowned. "You are not seriously suggesting I shoot the thing because it likes me?"

"What else are you supposed to do with it? It's clearly bonded to you somehow, it will probably either die or cause problems when you leave. The merchant was telling me that the varren had been a menace before it started following you around," Miranda said. "Likely someone else will shoot it. They are krogans after all."

"We can't let them shoot Urz..." Tali said sadly. "But we can't take him with us either."

The varren seemed to realize it was the object of discussion, cocking its head to the side while the quills that adorned its spine slowly flexed up and down. Occasionally Urz would pause to lean into the scratches Tali was providing, tongue lolling from his mouth.

Shepard rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed, realizing he was probably going to regret this decision. He slapped the side of the shuttle door twice and looked at Urz.

"Why not? Come on, ya damn varren. Load up."

Urz made a strange warbling sound and bounded into the transport happily, while his teammates gave him perplexed looks. From within the shuttle a yelp of surprise that could only be Kasumi was heard, followed by something being knocked over.

"Shepard, it's a varren. On a starship. This can't be a good idea," Miranda said.

"Probably not, but I fed it, it decided to follow me. Garrus is right, even if he his a jackass. He's my responsibility," he stated simply. "We'll keep him on the cargo deck for now and I'll figure out something later. For now we've got too much to do to try and figure something else out, and I'm not going to abandon him to get shot by you or anyone else."

He glanced back into the Kodiak and frowned.

"Speaking of, I should probably tell Kasumi before she does just that..."

* * *

"I can't believe we have a puppy," Kasumi practically squeaked as they waited for the airlock to cycle.

"It's not a puppy, it's a varren. And from what Wrex said it's probably older than you are," Shepard corrected.

The rest of the team had been rather non-plussed at their new addition, but Kasumi at least had adapted quickly when Tali had gotten Urz to settle down. Once the varren had finished sniffing around the rest of the crew and relaxed it had been happy to accept attention from a new source of the wondrous gift known as 'scratches'. Mordin had mostly been interested in the fact that it had so quickly bonded with Shepard and immediately begun musing on possible theories regarding varren evolution.

"For the record I still think this is a terrible idea. What is it going to eat? Not to mention the idea of varren droppings all over the ship," Miranda said.

"I got Wrex to send me some data on the shuttle ride up... looks like varren digestion is extremely efficient to the only thing they don't consume is the bones of prey, so that should only be a minimal problem," Shepard said, checking his omni-tool. "And it looks like they eat anything levo-protein based that fits in their mouth. And he does seem pretty obedient. Apparently they're smarter than people give them credit for."

"Okay, I give up. Let's just try to keep it on the lower deck at least," Miranda conceded.

An idea popped into his head, making him smirk wickedly. "Of course. I wouldn't want him causing problems to ship operations. First, though, a trip to the CIC."

The others looked at him curiously as he made his way into the elevator, Urz padding along behind. They rode in silence, Mordin giving Shepard a quick nod before heading to his lab once more while Miranda, Tali, and Kasumi all decided to see exactly what he had planned. He ignored the odd looks of the crewmen around him, headed for the cockpit.

"Get us ready to burn towards the relay, Joker," Shepard ordered as he approached.

"Already on it."

"Oh, and you should probably meet the newest crew member," he said casually, tapping Urz on the top of his broad head and pointing towards the pilot's chair that was beginning to swivel around to face them.

"Really, Commander? I think your 'angry aliens across the galaxy' collection is getting full. How many - Mother of God!" Joker yelled in surprise, finding a varren looking at him curiously from only a foot or two away. "Fish dog! Frog... fish, thing! What the hell?"

Even Miranda was unable to suppress a smile at the pilots panicked reaction, though doing far better than the other two who were doing nothing short of giggling. Shepard laughed, only stopping when the twinge in his side sent sharp pains running through his chest. Controlling himself Shepard summoned Urz back to his side.

"Joker, meet Urz. The newest Normandy recruit."

"Geez, Commander... trying to kill me. Are we an ark now? Cause I think if you get a beard going you could pull of Noah," the pilot responded, rubbing the hand rests of the chair nervously.

"No arks, harems, or krogan armies, Joker. And don't give me that look, you've had that coming for a long time," Shepard smirked.

"Harems?" Tali and Kasumi asked simultaneously.

He glanced back and held up his hands defensively. "Ah... long story. And it was Joker's suggestion. Glare at him. Now I need to get Urz back to the hold and then pry this armor off."

"I will take care of Urz, Commander. You need to tend to yourself," Miranda said.

"Really?"

"I am not going to 'lose' your new pet, Shepard. I was just giving you all the downsides before. I am your XO, after all."

"I'll go with her, I want to see Zaeed's face," Kasumi said.

The dark haired woman patted her thigh and looked at the varren expectantly. Urz took a few steps towards her automatically, then paused, glancing back towards Shepard for confirmation. When he motioning forward Urz followed without further delay. Shepard smiled faintly when he noticed Miranda reach down to pat the varren on the head while waiting for the lift.

"Just keep it out of my cockpit... last thing I need to worry about is getting eaten while I think I'm all safe and cozy," Joker said.

"I would not allow you to be eaten, Mr. Moreau. It would be against my programming," EDI assured him.

Joker rolled his eyes. "Great. My guardian angel is the nosey intercom."

"I think you're too scrawny for Urz's tastes anyways," Tali said.

"Ouch. That hurts, Tali. It really does. You were always my favorite, but no more. Totally gonna have to pick a new one now."

"My vote is Grunt. You two would make a cute couple. Now get us to that relay and set course for the Citadel. Time to see just how far I can stretch the Council's good graces," Shepard said.

Joker nodded and turned back to his console. "Aye, aye, Commander."

He turned and headed towards the elevator, Tali following after him. Later he would deal with cleaning the numerous layers of dust and dirt that had accumulated on his weapons, but for now he just wanted to get out of his armor. When they stepped into the lift she fixed him with a look, foot tapping slowly.

"You're not going to Chakwas are you?"

"No reason to waste her time or medical supplies, I'll heal just fine. We've got some time once we get to the Citadel," Shepard said.

"Uh huh," she responded noncommittally and pressed the button for his cabin. He was mostly surprised that it wasn't the second deck for him to be dragged into medbay.

"I'm fine, Tali."

"Uh huh," she said again, then reached over to grasp his wrist. Pulling it up and towards his neck Shepard gave a hiss of pain. "So how are you supposed to reach all the armor catches if you make noises like that trying to touch your neck?"

He grimaced, the door to his cabin opening at last. "Still mad, huh?"

"I..." Tali began haltingly, her smaller hands balled into fists. She turned away from him, looking at the empty tank on his wall. "I don't know which is worse, hiding it when I thought you'd never look at me like that or now that we have something knowing how easily it could disappear."

The door slid shut and he activated the locking mechanism, a frown on his features. This was more than Tali just being mad about being left behind. Shepard moved to stand behind her at the threshold that separated his 'office' from the rest of the room. He touched her shoulder gently.

"Tali..."

"I can't live through that again, Shepard," she whispered. "Watching you die was the worst moment of my life. First my mother, then you. My father too, now. And when you were gone this morning, all I could think of was what if this was the time you didn't come back."

"I'm sorry," Shepard said, slipping an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him, ignoring the protest from his arm and side. Of course he'd overlooked that detail, just thinking that he was doing her a favor letting her sleep.

She turned under his grip to face him, sighing. "No, you're the commander, I can't let my stupid paranoia interfere with the mission. You made a command decision. The last few days just feel... surreal."

"Maybe, but it doesn't mean I'm not sorry. I spend most my time thinking about keeping everyone else alive, Tali. Usually try to avoid thinking about dying myself," he told her.

"I don't want to think of it either, but I can't stop myself."

"I have no intention of going anywhere," Shepard assured her. "Now if you're willing I actually could use some help with this armor."

Her response was a simple nod, taking the helmet from his other hand and placing it on the desk before stepping down into the lower area of his cabin. Lifting his hand she unsnapped the clasps at his wrists and pulled the gauntlet off one hand, then the other. Shepard was about to tell her that he could manage most of it but stopped, something in her movements and the way she glanced up at him giving him pause.

"What next?" she asked.

The spectre guided her hands to the heavy shoulder plate, nimble fingers popping the release and adding the next piece to the growing pile of armor on the table. He eased himself back against the wall, reaching down to remove the armored boots but once more Tali beat him to it.

The boots were placed next to the couch, followed by armored plates that protected his upper arms. Each piece was removed carefully and deliberately, as he guided Tali's movements. Sometimes a faint touch followed the piece of armor being pulled away, turning the entire process into almost a ritual. Other than a tightening in his jaw he managed to resist any reaction when the armor had been removed from his sore arm, but when the quarian found the latch for his chest piece he was unable to suppress the hiss of pain.

Tali stopped but he didn't, reaching down and trying to lift the chest piece over his head, her hands quickly joining his to pull it off. The armored chest piece landed heavily on the couch, immediately followed by the final leg armor, leaving him in only the armored bodyglove and pants that he wore beneath the armor.

"So much simpler for you," Tali said. "A few clasps and straps and it all falls away."

Shepard couldn't think of anything to say, knowing what was running through her mind, instead just reaching out and grasping her hand, feeling her grip tighten around his fingers before releasing. Those same hands tentatively touched the bottom of his shirt, silver eyes glancing up at him. He nodded reassuringly and she tugged upwards, eliciting another hiss of pain as he finished the process and pulled the shirt over his head.

"Shepard, you stubborn _bosh'tet_..." Tali said quietly.

The majority of his left side was a road map of dark bruises, a matching set creeping over his shoulder where they continued to his back. A few more direct blows from the warlord and he likely wouldn't have been walking back to the transport after the battle.

"See? Nothing broken, nothing cut."

"Not this time," she said, fingertips tentatively reaching out to brush the old scar at his side, his ever present reminder of Akuze. "Sorry, touching... I shouldn't. I just..."

He smiled. "Nothing wrong with it, Tali. You're not just a crew member anymore remember?"

"I know, that's the surreal part," she replied with a nervous laugh. "But quarians spend so long in our suits... even when we were sitting so closely in the tomkah, there was still the suit and armor, so different seeing you like... like this."

"Small steps, hm?"

It was another occasion that he wished he could see her reaction, to see if she was bluffing beneath that concealing visor. The finger that was lightly tracing his scar trembled faintly before finally stopping as she overcame her nervousness.

"You're broader than a quarian male... I mean, I would imagine. I've never even seen one of my own people. Like that..."

"I'm not exactly looking my best at the moment," Shepard said, rubbing the back of his neck and grunting in pain once more as the gesture tugged at a sore muscle. "Damn! Have to stop doing that."

"Here."

Tali reached into one of the pouches on her suit, the outfit seeming to be a labyrinth of hidden pockets, and produced a small packet of medi-gel. She tore the seal and placed a little on her fingers, rubbing it lightly against where he'd taken the blow to the ribs.

"Tali, you don't have to-"

She cut him off with a shake of her head. "If we can't... be together, at least I can do this. See you like this. So many scars, Shepard. You can't have gotten all of these since Cerberus... brought you back."

The undertone of sadness in her voice was like a blow to the stomach, but he didn't push the issue, instead answering the question in the second part of her statement.

"I didn't. The Illusive Man apparently wanted me brought back as close to unaltered as possible. That apparently included my scars," Shepard explained, his voice becoming quieter. "It's how I knew I was me after they woke me up, not some sort of clone or copy."

"Definitely not a copy. Anyone that knew you before can tell that. The way you speak, the way you move, it's all the man we knew before," Tali agreed.

He shook his head. "Not all of me. A lot of whats under here isn't human anymore, Tali... it's bio-synthetics and cybernetic replacements. As much as I want to be I'll never be quite the same again."

"So what? It doesn't change who you are. I have them too, you know."

"Really?

"Mmhmm," Tali said. She continued to lightly rub the medi-gel into his skin, fingers occasionally wandering to trace the line of his muscle or the more uneven path of another of the scars he'd earned in his years.

"All quarians have at least some basic medical implants and monitors that link to our suits. Sometimes more, especially as time as gone on. Augment our immune systems, fix medical problems that crop up from living on a ship with lower gravity or a birth defect."

"I doubt quite as extensively as what Cerberus has stuffed into me. I looked at the data once... that was enough," he sighed.

"If you hadn't had the cybernetics, what would have happened today when the krogan hit you?"

"Broken multiple ribs probably... maybe my jaw. Guess it would have been a good deal worse," he said, seeing her point. A little of the tension eased out of his muscles, a faint smile tugging at his lips. In the short time since they'd admitted their feelings Shepard was already learning to enjoy these short moments that made him forget about the things he'd been through for a little while.

"Then I guess they're not so bad after all," Tali stated as she wiped the last of the medi-gel from her fingers onto his bruised cheek.

He slipped his good arm around her waist, pulling her close once more, though careful this time not to put pressure on his aching side. The hand against his face trailed downwards, tracing a faint line of the last of the medi-gel down his neck and collarbone. With a sigh he felt his forehead touch Tali's visor, resting there easily.

"Damn this suit," she whispered.

"No," Shepard disagreed, not moving his head. "Not anymore than these parts in me, if they're what kept me alive to make it here. Damn the need for it, but not the thing. That thing is probably one of the most important pieces of technology in the universe to me at the moment."

The hand came to rest against his neck, her voice quiet. "No fair, using my own logic on me. I guess I need to get down to engineering before people wonder where I went."

"Not just yet. Just... stay here for a few minutes," he asked tiredly.

Tali responded, fingertips slowly stroking his neck.

"Okay, Shepard."

* * *

"So we have a ship pet now, Commander?"

"Hm? Oh. Yes. His name is Urz, he's going to be staying on the cargo deck, though, so don't worry," Shepard responded to Kelly, absent-mindedly rubbing his shoulder.

They were still in transit to the Citadel, roughly a day out now. Thankfully he'd been correct regarding his wounds at the hand of Weyrloc Guld, between the medi-gel Tali had applied in his cabin and the enhancements Cerberus had made to him as part of the Lazarus Project when he'd awoken this morning his bruises looked as if they were a few days old rather than barely twenty four hours.

"I'm not worried, I love animals. Though I've never actually seen a varren in person before," the yeoman said.

Shepard chuckled. "He's not bad, though you'll probably want to have me or Tali with you the first time you meet him. I think he takes his friend foe ques from how we act if what I've been reading is any indication. Or you can feed him. Somehow I'm thinking he's more mercenary than he's let on."

"I'll remember that. Oh, I forgot to mention Thane asked to see you before we reached the Citadel."

"Thanks. I needed to speak with him anyways. I'll be on heading that way if anything comes up," he said.

Kelly nodded and returned to working at her console. He had been meaning to speak with Thane ever since they had finished the mission on Tuchanka. There were a number of biotics on his ship now, and after the fight with Guld he realized that he needed to try and find out a way to control whatever ability he had developed from the Lazarus Project. As it was whenever he forced the abilities to work he was left regretting it later as his brain seemed to throb inside his head.

Unfortunately Samara's biotic abilities were inherent as an asari and he was leery of asking Miranda for that sort of aid despite their improve relations since the mission had begun. Thane seemed to be the calm, rational sort, and thus possibly capable of providing basic information without ulterior motives.

Reaching the crew deck Shepard crossed the hall and activated the door to life support, finding Thane in his customary position at the table looking out onto the drive core. Moving around the table he took a seat, nodding to the assassin.

"Thane. I had actually intended to come talk to you when Kelly gave me the message."

"Fortunate," Thane replied, inclining his head in greeting. His fingers were steepled before him, tapping together lightly in a nervous gesture that Shepard hadn't seen before. Finally the drell stood and moved to stare at the display case of firearms that rested on the wall next to the window.

"I'm guessing you didn't ask to see me because of something good. What's going on, Thane?" he asked.

The assassin sighed. "I spoke to you a little of my career before. I neglected to mention certain other details. I left the hanar's service after a particular series of events. During that time I had a family. A son."

Shepard nodded. "Go on."

"His name is Kolyat. His mother... passed from this life some time ago, when that happened I left him in the care of some relatives on our world. I thought it would be a better life for him. Unfortunately it seems he has somehow learned of my past. One of my contacts on the Citadel contacted me a few hours after we left Tuchanka."

Remaining quiet for a moment Thane finally turned back to the table and took his seat before continuing.

"The contact told me that a young drell was looking for work on the Citadel. Contract work. Someone heard his name and assumed that if he shared my name he also shared my skills. I wasn't able to find out who his target was, only that the job is to take place within the next few days. I do not like to ask this, especially considering the importance of our mission, but I find I must. I need your assistance in tracking him down before this job takes place."

"We're a little over twenty hours out from the Citadel now. Have to move fast, I know a C-sec captain on Zakera Ward that might be able to help us," Shepard said, already thinking of a plan of action.

"I... thank you, Shepard," Thane replied after a moment, apparently surprised by the suddenness of the spectre's agreement.

"He's your son, Thane. You think I'm just going to tell you to deal with it?"

"I did not know, in all honesty, but you have continued to prove yourself a unique individual, commander. I have not spoken to my son in many years, but I cannot let him walk the same path. Only darkness is that way," Thane said.

"We'll find him. I'll have Garrus follow up with any contacts he has as well."

Thane nodded once more. "Again, my thanks. You also said you were going to seek me out. Is there something you need as well?"

"Me? Yes," he replied, his attention jumping back to the drell as he finished hitting the last few keys on his omni-pad to send a quick message to Garrus, adding Kasumi as a last minute thought before sending it.

"I was wondering if you might have some advice or techniques for controlling biotic abilities."

The assassin looked surprised, sitting back in his chair. "I noticed your use of biotics on Tuchanka. I am curious, however, are not biotics among your people rare? I thought all received the best training available."

"It's a long story. The short version is that I was not born with any biotic potential. And that the rumors of my death two years ago were not exaggerated. The only reason I'm here now is through the expenditure of billions of credits and some of the most advance science I've ever heard of on the part of Cerberus. One of the side effects of my... death and eventual resurrection was apparently biotic abilities that I only discovered recently," Shepard explained.

"So you never learned to actually use those abilities."

"No at all. The first time I was even aware of them was..." he hesitated, but continued on. "Was on the collector vessel. Tali was being overwhelmed by husks and I couldn't reach her, and something just triggered it instinctually. During the fight with Guld was the only time I've intentionally tried to use it... both times it worked but I end up with a splitting headache and I generally have the vaguest idea of what I'm doing."

"I see. I wish I could be more helpful, Shepard, but unfortunately I would be a poor teacher in this matter," Thane sighed.

"Why?"

The drell shrugged, gesturing at himself. "What you see before you is what the hanar made him, trained since I was a child. The techniques I have learned I use as almost pure instinct because they are so ingrained in me, my abilities are not comparable to a truly powerful biotic like Samara or likely even your Mrs. Lawson. To me they are more like tools that I simply know how to use without thinking of them."

"Damn. I guess I will have to go to Miranda after all," Shepard said, standing. "In the meantime try to find out any more information on your son. I'll have EDI update you when we're about to dock and we'll head to C-sec immediately."

"I only hope we will be in time."

"We will be, Thane," he assured the man.

A faint smile crossed the assassin's scaled face. "One other thing, Shepard. Have you considered speaking with Jack regarding your abilities?"

He stopped in the doorway. "Not really."

"Why not? Her own abilities are unnaturally powerful from what I know of humans and she has likely needed considerable practice to learn to control them. I have only spoken to her occasionally, and while her personality is... abrasive, I suspect that she might offer a great deal of knowledge regarding your situation."

"I guess it can't hurt. Much at least. Thanks, Thane," he said.

Leaving life support and entering the elevator he pressed the button for the next deck down, silently wondering if it really was a good idea. Jack had gotten her powers in much the same way he had, through Cerberus meddling, but it was with far darker and more violent means. He didn't want to conjure up old demons especially after she seemed to have finally quashed a few of them on Pragia. On the other hand he needed every edge he could get, and that including using this new found biotic potential without giving himself some sort of brain hemorrhage.

He exited the elevator and looked out at the docking bay, seeing Urz running across the open space between the shuttles. For a moment he was concerned, until he saw Kasumi materialize, snatching up some object or another before tossing it across the bay for the varren to eagerly pursue. Shepard chuckled and turned to head down the stairs into the bowels of the Normandy.

"Decided to come slumming, Shepard?"

Turning he found Jack sitting on the shadows of one corner of the lower deck. He walked over and took a seat on the nearby table.

"Not quite. I actually came to see if you could help me with something, Jack."

The former convict leaned forward, one brow cocked. "Really? The white knight coming to the crazy criminal for help?"

"I prefer to think you of as another member of my team now, Jack. Just one that isn't so fond of shirts or bright lights," he smirked.

"Think you're fucking cute, don't ya?" Jack asked, hoping down from her perch on one of the coolant pipes and strolling over to her cot. She flopped down and laid back with her hands behind her head. "Okay, well you kept up your end of the bargain about those files and then, you know, the whole thing with Pragia. What the hell do you want?"

He paused to consider how to word it before shrugging, deciding to go with the direct approach.

"I want you to teach me how to use biotics."

That caused her to sit up. She looked at him like he'd just asked her to teach him how to fly and make rainbows shoot out of his ass.

"That krogan hit you harder than I thought? I mean you got the big damn shiner to show for it, but I didn't think you were brain damaged. People can't just learn biotics. You're born with it, Shepard."

Shepard sighed and concentrated, squeezing his eyes shut. His fist was clenched in front of him as he tried to summon up that same energy but it seemed reluctant to appear. Finally he felt a surge accompanied by the same sharp pain and his hand shimmered blue, the table he was sitting on jumping a few inches off the deck to slam back down loudly.

Jack blinked once. "Well fuck."

"Ugh... you can say that again," he winced.

"So how did that happen?"

"Cerberus," he growled, rubbing his temples as the pain receded slowly. He had done his best not to over do it but apparently it hadn't helped that much. "I'm technically undead, you know. I was spaced. They put me back together, cybernetics, all kinds of crazy stuff. Apparently due to some eezo exposure they decided to stick an amp in my head and see what happened. Didn't bother to tell me about it because they didn't think it worked."

"Typical. Course I still gotta wonder if you don't have brain damage, wanting me to teach you," Jack said.

"Who else is going to? Thane said his abilities are instinct. Samara is a thousand year old asari justicar so I'm guessing 'biotics for dummies' isn't something she'd be great at and I'd rather not ask Miranda."

"Fuck'n cheerleader," the biotic grumbled.

"Yea, I know, you two aren't fond of each other. That's for another time. But you had to learn to deal with your abilities... I need to learn how to use mine. Every time I try it feels like someone set off a flashbang in my head," Shepard explained.

"You feel like you're trying to pull your foot out of really deep mud when you use the powers? Straining until your chest feels all tight?"

"Something like that, then it just snaps and works, and I pay for it immediately after."

Jack nodded, placing her elbows on her knees and watching him for a moment as if trying to make up her mind. Finally she sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine. I guess I owe you and I don't like owing anyone. It's going to be a bitch and a half though. Most people start this shit when they're kids, I know I did. And I don't think you're gonna let me stick a needle in your head to 'encourage' you to learn."

"I would like to... avoid the needle option," Shepard said carefully. "Did I also mention that we're going to be docking at the Citadel in less than a day? I hope you're a good teacher."

"Don't start piss'n me off already, Shepard. I might forget to hold back with the newbie. Now c'mon, let's head to the cargo pay. Less collateral damage that way," Jack told him and stood, heading towards the stairs.

Shepard grimaced and stood, following after the biotic.

"This promises to be interesting."

"I think you meant 'painful'," Jack responded, far too cheerfully.

Shepard groaned.


	25. Chapter 24

The first box spun away easily, it was the second that caught him full in the stomach, knocking the wind out of his lungs and forcing him to double over sucking in air. Sweat poured down his face, soaking his shirt. Nearby he heard a course of sympathetic sounds and what sounded like at least one amused chuckle.

"Fuck, Shepard, are you even trying?" Jack asked.

He coughed and continued to breath deeply. "Thought I was."

His first training session with Jack had been short and surprisingly non-violent. Apparently using his biotics was something like using a muscle, and since it wasn't one he used often his extreme exertions had resulted in equally extreme amounts of pain. The former convict had actually been rather patient, explaining how to regulate his usage of biotics instead of just lashing out with full force. Many hours later she had decided to make up for the rather non-violent first interaction with an abrupt learn by doing session.

Now that he'd learned how access his abilities she said he had to learn to do it reflexively without over doing it. Boxes hurled at high speed by Jack's own biotics were the favorite teaching method of this school, apparently. It hadn't taken long for him acquire a small audience. At first only Kasumi perched on a crate, then Tali who had come down to keep a hold on Urz due to the fact that the varren thought they were playing some sort of advanced version of the fetch game Kasumi had already taught him. He had dragged a crate half way back across the cargo bay before anyone had realized what he was doing.

An hour later and Zaeed had joined the spectators along with Grunt, the two of them making bets on the outcome of each volley of crates and boxes. It seemed they even had a spread going on how many hit him and where. Garrus had joined not long after and of course immediately joined the pool.

"You're killing me here, Boss. I'm trying to keep the faith and all, but at this rate Zaeed is going to own everything but my dignity," Garrus said.

"Only 'cause you can't bet what you don't have, scales," Kasumi jeered.

"Apparently you know him better than I thought," Shepard laugh tiredly, glancing over at the turian.

A second later he was forced to dodge to the side as another box streaked through the air and was immediately followed by a second that he was able to shove aside with a push of biotic energy. Jack waved her hand and sent a final crate spinning towards him. Summoning up his reserves he shoved, hard, and actually managed to push the object back towards her to be batted effortlessly aside.

Jack smirked. "Getting feisty now, Shepard? Don't make me come over there and kick your ass."

"Just keeping it lively," he replied. With a loud groan he forced himself up straight and ran a hand across his head, wiping away the sweat there. Before the next round could begin the intercom came to life.

"Commander, we're one hour out from the Citadel," Joker interrupted.

"Thank god," Shepard said. "Show is over, people. Garrus, Kasumi, Tali, meet me on the CIC in forty-five minutes."

"Guess we'll have to pick up later. Don't wuss out on me, Shepard," Jack said, pointing at him.

"Wouldn't dream of it, Jack."

Breaking up with a few grumbles the group headed for their respective quarters, Zaeed looking pleased with himself as he flipped a credit chit end over end before catching it. Stepping into the elevator Tali touched her side, cocking her head at him in silent question.

"I'm fine, I heal quick these days," he said quietly, trailing off as Kasumi and Garrus joined them in the elevator.

"You lost me a good hundred credits, Shepard. You need to learn to duck faster," the turian said.

"I'll keep that in mind, Garrus. You know I didn't tell you to wager your life savings on me."

"That's like two hundred credits and some dextro-rations at this point so I wouldn't be out much," Garrus laughed.

They rode the rest of the way in the companionable silence, getting off one by one until he arrived at his quarters alone. He quickly stripped off his clothes and grabbed a quick shower to wash away the exertions of the past few hours.

A few minutes later Shepard found himself putting on his armor once more, thinking of the previous evening when Tali had helped him remove it with such care. The memory helped him ignore the occasional ache as he strapped it on piece by piece. It seemed odd now how in the moment removing his armor with her had felt almost like a ritual. In its own way maybe it had been.

As he prepared to exit his cabin, Shepard looked to the empty fish tank that occupied the majority of his wall. At first he'd seen it as simply wasteful, then as time went on it just wasn't something he paid attention to. Why buy things to fancy up a cabin when he wasn't even sure he was going to make it from one day to the next, especially with small living creatures.

Maybe it was time to change that. They were on the Citadel, somewhere had to sell fish. But first he had a job to do.

* * *

"What's the sit-rep, Boss?" Garrus asked as they exited the airlock and headed towards the customs checkpoint of Zakera Ward.

He glanced to his side. "Thane?"

"My son, Kolyat, has used my reputation to secure employment as an assassin here on the Citadel. I do not know how he discovered the details of my past nor have I been able to determine who is target is, only that the attack is supposed to take place within the next few hours."

"Oh, that's not good," Kasumi said.

"Indeed. My son does not need to follow my path, especially if it is likely motivated by emotion rather than reason," Thane said.

"That's why we're here. We need to take care of the Normandy's refits but this takes precedence. Garrus, Kasumi... both of you have contacts here on the Citadel. I want the two of you to see what you can find," Shepard ordered, pointing at the duo. "You keep each other out of trouble and report in as soon as you know anything."

He continued. "Thane, you, Tali, and I are going to visit Captain Bailey at C-Sec. If it's going down anywhere near here I'd bet that he knows about it or knows someone who can find out. We're on a very short time table here, use your head but do whatever it takes to get the job done."

"On it. I'll check with some of my old C-Sec buddies," Garrus said.

"And I know a few sketchy-types that might know who the big movers are," Kasumi finished.

Without further comment the group split up, turian and human heading one way while their trio moved towards customs. Numerous people milled around, waiting for security clearances or a variety of other things. As usual Shepard simply nudged his way through the crowd, ignoring the customs desk. It seemed this time they were a little more observant.

"Sir! Weapons are not permitted on the Citadel," one of the agents said, a rather tired looking woman with her mouth set in a thin line.

"Ugh. I hate customs... same thing every time. 'What's in your pockets, quarian?' 'Do you have paperwork for this?'," Tali muttered.

"Guess hanging around with me has some perks," Shepard said, flashing a smile at Tali and turning to the C-sec agent. He raised his wrist where is omni-tool flared to life when he addressed her.

"Council spectres are authorized to carry weapons. You'll find all the details on your terminal. Now I have business to tend to if you don't mind."

The woman looked a little nonplussed at his casual response, blinking a few times before forming a response. Her voice carried faintly behind them as they kept moving into actual security check point.

"Of course, spectre."

"Much simpler. Legitimacy has its uses," Thane said. "I have spotted at least a dozen security flaws, however, at least seven of which were present on my last visit. The illusion of security does more than actual prevention, it seems."

"So they'd like you to believe at least," Shepard said.

Stepping into the C-sec precinct they found it equally busy. Near the front desk was an elcor, complaining in his race's unchanging tone about a burglary while an officer tried to patiently wait for him to finish. One of the turians at the desk waved him up. After a brief moment he realized it was the one that had scanned him when he'd first arrived on the Citadel after his absence.

"Shepard. You here to see Bailey?"

"Good guess," he confirmed.

"Good timing more like it, come on," the turian said, motioning for him to follow. He led them past the main desk and towards a conference room. Inside Bailey was sitting at one end of the table looking unamused. A turian paced back and forth, surprisingly out of armor, making vigorous hand gestures.

"Ahem... Captain?" the officer interrupted, opening the door.

"Look, I'm not going to arrest people on your say so - what is it?" Bailey snapped.

"Spectre business, sir," he replied, hooking a thumb back at Shepard.

A faint twitch at the corner of Bailey's mouth betrayed his relief but it was quickly concealed before he turned to address the other turian. He spread his hands in a helpless gesture.

"We'll have to continue this later, I'm afraid spectre business overrides normal considerations."

"Bah! Human spectre, human C-sec officers... what should I expect?" the turian said.

He stalked out, shoving past Shepard roughly and without apology. Bailey shrugged as they filed into the conference room and the door was shut behind them. Stepping forward Bailey extended his hand, Shepard quickly returned the gesture and shook it firmly.

"Good to see you again, Bailey."

"You too, nice timing. Thought that jackass would never leave. You saved my last nerve," the captain replied. "What can I do for you?"

"I've come into some information regarding an attempted assassination that will take place on the Citadel. I need to find out who the target is," Shepard said.

"Assassination? Shepard if you've got intel I need to hear it."

"Nothing firm, that's why I need your help. We need to stop this before it takes place," the spectre said.

"If you don't know who the target is, how about the trigger man or the one who ordered the hit?" Bailey asked. "If you don't even know who the target is, what is a spectre doing investigating it?"

Shepard sighed and glanced to Thane. They both knew that telling Bailey would mean that he would technically be required to report the information. The risk they had to take was that they could persuade him to let them handle the matter 'off the books'. Finally the drell nodded and stepped forward.

"The trigger man is my son."

The C-sec captain's eyebrows shot up. "Oh."

"Kolyat is troubled, his mother died some years ago. I need to stop him before he makes a decision that he will regret," Thane explained.

"You know I'm supposed to report this, right? Of course you do," Bailey said, answering his own question.

"You struck me as a man more interested in getting the job done whether or not it was by the books. Why don't we chalk this up to spectre business?" Shepard asked.

Bailey sat for a moment in thought before finally sighing heavily, pushing himself to his feet. He ran a hand down his face and gestured to the door.

"Fine, but if this starts going sideways you need to call me in. What can I do?"

"My contact here told me that the hit was ordered by someone in this Ward, but didn't have a name. Are there any sources we could pressure for information?" Thane asked.

"Yea, yea... I know a guy. Mouse. Used to be a duct rat, one of the lucky ones considering he got too big for it," Bailey said. "Now he's a small time fencer, fixer, and package boy for anyone with a little 'under the table' business to do in Zakera Ward. I leave him alone most the time as long as he tosses some good intel my way every now and then."

"Duct rat?" Shepard asked as they walked.

"Young kids in the poorer wards, they play in the air ducts and vents because the adults are too big to fit. They can get all over the station with them."

"That cannot be safe," Tali said. "On the Flotilla there are very strict rules where children can go on the ship, especially in their bubbles."

Bailey grimaced. "It's not... they lose hands, break bones. Every now and then we pull a little body out of the bottom of a shaft. God knows how many more we never find. The Council may want the galaxy to think the Citadel is a spotless example of civilization, but there's plenty of dirt and death underneath the pretty exterior."

"Where can we find this Mouse?" he asked.

"Go a couple levels down, he's been hanging out around the Dark Star lounge using the terminals there. Last I heard he was actually hawking an illegal Shepard VI so should be an interesting conversation either way," the captain said, his tone becoming lighter.

"Got it... wait, what? Shepard VI?"

"Yea. Not perfect but apparently pretty good from what I hear. Mouthy, too. When you delete a file it says 'I delete data like you on the way to real errors!'," Bailey informed him. "Little glitchy, though. Likes to lock up and tell you to go save the galaxy yourself. Either some programmers idea of a positive message or someone got lazy."

"That's... ah... pretty extreme, Shepard," Tali said with a barely suppressed laugh.

"Wonderful," he said dryly. "Let's go find this Mouse. And thank you, Bailey. You're sticking your neck out damn far for people you don't even know."

The C-Sec captain took a seat when they arrived at his desk, sighing heavily as the faint smile fled his face. His gaze turned out the window at the crowds passing by just outside the entrance to the C-Sec offices.

"I see kids here all the time that turn to crime because they've got no other choice, the ambassadors and government big-wigs don't care. Their parents don't care," he said and looked to Thane. "You're trying to save yours. That's more than I can say for most. Now go check with Mouse, if anyone can tell you who hired your boy it's him."

Shepard nodded sadly and motioned for his companions to follow, heading towards the exit. Soon they were caught in the sea of people that was ever present on the Citadel. One other advantage of being him Shepard discovered: when you're already a well-built individual and add a suit of combat armor and visible weapons the press becomes considerably less. A good look and people were generally willing to step aside to let him proceed unimpeded. For his part Thane seemed to slip between the passersby like he was walking between rain drops, while Tali simply used the path he was carving through the crowd by following just behind.

It didn't take long to reach the Dark Star. The lounge and bar was a familiar place, even if he'd never been there before, resembling so many other such establishments. Loud bass lines thrummed in his ears, people in fancy designer clothes strutted around like exotic beasts during mating displays, and alcohol flowed freely. He was momentarily concerned exactly how they'd find this 'Mouse', but Thane peeled away almost as soon as they entered and headed towards a table in the back.

"Thane?"

Following the drell led them to a young man dressed in clothes that had seen better days and a five o'clock shadow that had probably taken him the better part of a month to grow. He was thin, not quite malnourished, but still too slight for his stature. He was speaking animatedly to someone on the other end of a comm line.

"Mouse?" Thane asked.

Shepard gave the man a once over, looking confused. "Wait, you know this guy?"

"Not until I saw him, I did not think it could be the same person."

The man blinked a few times and quickly disconnected his call. "Holy shit... Krios? I thought you retired! And... Shepard? You're supposed to be dead, what the hell is going on?"

"Be still, Mouse. I'm looking for information, very specific information about an assassination that is supposed to take place today. A young drell was hired to do the job," Thane informed him.

"Whoa. Thane you always did right but us, only person that was nice to us I remember in a long time. But these people aren't nice. Very not nice, in fact."

"We're not putting together a police report, Mouse," Shepard interjected. "This is all off the books. Since you two know each other consider it a favor to an old friend."

The younger man glanced around nervously and rubbed his chin, shaking his head. "I'm sorry, I probably owe you but old friends or not I'm not going to get killed for you, Krios. You'll have to find your drell buddy somewhere else."

Thane's fist came down hard enough to make the table rattle and cause Mouse to nearly bolt for the door. His own muscles tensed and he even noticed Tali stiffen in surprise. When Thane spoke his voice was level but it was clear he was having difficult restraining himself.

"That drell is my son, Mouse. I need to find him before it's too late."

"Ah fuck man, I shoulda known," Mouse grumbled. "Thane they'll kill me if they find out..."

"Then they won't find out," Shepard stated forcefully, leaning forward on the table and locking eyes with the nervous fence. "Give my friend the information he needs, Mouse, and they'll never hear your name and if they do try something it will not end well. However bad your 'associates' are, Mouse, I promise you one thing: I am far, far worse when someone gets in my way."

"Okay! Okay. This drell came to me. He had that... holo, the one I gave you years ago. Said you were associates, was looking for work. I told him I'd see what I could do," Mouse explained. "Finally I had a guy looking to have a problem 'fixed'. It was Elias Kelham."

"Thank you, Mouse. You did well. Kelham will never know," Thane said.

"Hope I live long enough to feel good about myself. It was good to see you again, Krios... if you're going to visit old haunts again, next time try to do it without bringing a mess with you."

He gave the young man the faintest of smiles. "I doubt I'll be back this way again, Mouse. May Arashu watch over you."

The fence acknowledged the goodbye, maybe understanding the significance, maybe not. As the faded into the crowd and disappeared from view Shepard saw his companion's eyes follow him. Thane shook his head and turned from the table, heading towards the door. Motioning for Tali, he followed, noticing the quarian tapping at her omni-tool.

"What are you doing?"

"I was just hacking his system, looking for data just in case there was something else useful there. He's talented but not nearly good enough to keep me out," Tali replied.

"Anything useful?"

She looked up. "Hm? Oh, nothing. Nothing useful."

He arched an eyebrow but let it go, continuing to follow the drell outside, moving to flank him when the assassin stopped just past the exit. They stood in silence for a moment before Shepard spoke.

"That couldn't have been easy. You knew him before, when he was one of those duct rats?"

Thane nodded. "Yes. He and the other children would help me, provide information. They were the invisible people, no one noticed, no one cared. Mouse was one of the best... his eager eyes looking up at me, worshiping at the petty gifts I bring, pressing a holo into my hand asking if I would remember him."

"That sounded rather... vivid," Shepard said, noticing how the drell's eyes seemed unfocused as he spoke, his words coming rapidly like he was narrating a vid or reading from a book.

"The curse of memory. Mouse knew more about my life than Kolyat ever did... but I left him behind as well."

Carefully he placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "It's not your fault, Thane."

"Then whose? A man must accept the burdens of his choices. Come, let us find out if Captain Bailey can assist us in locating this Elias Kelham."

The assassin straightened his already perfect jacket and moved away, once more flowing through the crowd with ease, heading back towards C-Sec. He could only follow and roll Thane's words around in his mind, the sentiment all too familiar.

* * *

As it turned out Elias Kelham was a local 'reputable businessman'. With said reputation mostly involving veiled threats and only vague descriptions of what sort of work he was supposed to be involved in. Bailey was less than pleased by the news, Kelham apparently had come to an agreement with the C-Sec captain: restricting violence in Zakera Ward and occasional purchasing some 'tickets to the C-Sec fundraiser' in exchange for being safe from law enforcement harassment. While Bailey expressed his distaste for the man he also felt it was the simplest way to keep the peace.

"Look, I'm having him brought in and I'll get him set up in one of the interrogation rooms for you," Bailey said. "Officially I can't charge him with anything without causing a hell of an incident. His lawyer will have him out in no time after that so you'll have to work fast."

"After all your talk about people turning to crime here isn't your arrangement with Kelham a little hypocritical?" Tali asked.

The human frowned. "I chose the lesser evil. Believe it or not Kelham isn't the worst criminal that could have moved in here and I'd rather have the snake I know close at hand."

"The world is an imperfect place. The best decision is not always the most righteous," Thane agreed.

Bailey's omni-tool beeped rapidly. He stepped away for a moment, speaking quietly, nodding. The next few minutes were going to be interesting to say the least, he wasn't an expert in interrogation and they were quickly running out of time. He'd received a notice of his own from Kasumi and Garrus; they hadn't located the target but apparently the Wards were all stirred up with racial tension and there were more than a few mercenaries prowling the streets. Word had it that there were changes in the wind.

"Okay, they have him in interrogation room three. He's going to expect me to get him out of this. To make matters worse, his advocate has already made an appearance," Bailey explained, rejoining them.

The turian at his side rolled his eyes. "Must have his VI set to page the guy if we get within ten meters."

"Probably. I'll stall him, but you need to work fast," Bailey said.

He and the other C-Sec officer marched away, heading for the main desk and Kelham's advocate. Thane glanced over at him and shrugged.

"How do you want to handle this?"

"I don't know, wing it? Hell, let's see if vid's are true to life. You appeal to his self-interest and I'll put the fear of god into him," Shepard suggested.

Thane nodded. "Very good. I'll make a show of being sympathetic to his predicament."

"And what am I supposed to be doing for this?" Tali asked.

That gave him pause. He already had a feeling how this was going to go and it likely wasn't pleasant. But he also couldn't afford to hold back, they needed Kelham's information or someone else was going to die and Thane's son would pay the price. An idea pushed to the front of his mind.

"You wait outside the door, pop the panel off and act like you're fixing it. Might buy us another minute or so, just don't push it too far and get in trouble," Shepard said.

"Okay," she agreed, still sounding a little skeptical but offering no argument.

They quickly found their way to the interrogation room, Tali kneeling by the door and giving him a nod. Thane hit the controls and the stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind them with an firm, audible thunk that brought an unpleasant smirk to Shepard's face. Apparently C-Sec wasn't above reducing the safety cushion on their automatic doors to add a little theatricality to the interrogation room.

"Who the hell are you two?" the man in the room asked. He was nothing of note in other circumstances, average height and weight, brown hair cropped close with a thin beard outlining his face. A displeased sneer marred what would otherwise have been attractive features, sitting there in the mostly bare room. Only a single table and two chairs taking up the square space.

"We merely want to ask you a few questions, Mr. Kelham. Off the record," Thane said, placing his arms behind his back and moving to stand in front of the simple table that occupied the middle of the room. Shepard paced around the back wall, just in the edge of the man's vision.

Kelham eased back in his chair and rolled his eyes. "Yea, off the record in a C-Sec interrogation room. I want my advocate."

"We are attempting to locate him, but his participation is not necessary. As I said, this is strictly off the record. I am sure we can conclude our business and let you get back to yours long before your advocate arrives," the drell explained, taking the seat across from the man. "You employed an assassin for a job to take place today. Who is the target?"

"I'm not telling you a damn thing."

"We're on something of a timeline here, Elias," Shepard said coolly and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. "I suggest you cooperate."

"Fuck you."

"Wrong answer."

In a flash his hand moved up, grabbed the back of Kelham's head, and slammed him face forward into the table. He was careful not to exert too much force, just enough to bounce the man's head off the table once, causing him to jerk back up with a groan of pain, blood running from his nose.

"Do you have..." Kelham said and then paused, wiping away some of the blood. "Do you have any idea what I'm going to do to you for that?"

Thane steepled his fingers, elbows resting on the table. "My associate gets a little... excitable during interrogations. Not his strong suit. He prefers to deal with problems more directly. Please do not become a problem, Mr. Kelham."

"Yea, I'm real scared. Hit me again, see what it gets you," Elias spat.

Shepard shrugged and caught the side of the man's head in a backhanded cuff, forcing Kelham to catch the side of the table to prevent himself from falling out of the chair. It was a little harder than he'd intended, but quite satisfying. A few small flecks of blood broke up the smooth silver surface of the table. Thane caught his gaze, jerking his head towards the side of the room. He got the message, moving to join the drell.

He wasn't really sure which angered him more. Kelham's attitude was bad enough, all contempt and swagger, confident that not only was he untouchable but that they should be afraid of him. But possible more infuriating was that much of it was justified. The laws and politicians, corrupt deals and loopholes let him get away with what he did with impunity because the red tape was too thick to fight through.

"Careful. He is of no use to us dead," Thane cautioned.

"He's no use to us at all if he doesn't start providing some useful information," he pointed out.

"Indeed. In the time available I am unsure of the best option, a few bruises aren't going to be enough to get him to change his mind especially when he likely knows that it is only a matter of time before his advocate can secure his release."

"Then I guess it's time to stop playing nice. Spectres have effectively unlimited authority in Council space after all," Shepard said.

The drell's brows raised. "Did you not tell me that the Council ordered you to restrict your operations to the Terminus systems?"

"He doesn't know that. And there's nothing in the computers to that effect. I have full spectre status as far as the rest of the galaxy is concerned."

"But if you violate your agreement with the Council do you not risk the chance of alienating them and losing said status?" Thane asked.

He couldn't keep the look of contempt from his face when he spoke. "The Council has done nothing but waste time and resources to actively ignore the threats that don't fit into their tidy world view. I had no reason to purposefully antagonize them, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let their opinion dictate my actions. Might as well get some use out of this spectre status while I still have it."

Thane only nodded in thanks when they turned back towards Kelham. The criminal was eased back in his chair, watching them both with the same sneer while he wiped away the last trickle of blood from his nose.

"You two done? Gotten all your final affairs put in order? Because once I get out of here you're going to learn just what it means to screw with Elias Kelham," the human said.

"I am sorry, Mr. Kelham. But I can no longer assist you. I'm 'washing my hands' of the matter as your people say. I wish you had been more cooperative," Thane replied. "A name and time are all we require."

"You're a broken record, drell. Why don't you shove a -"

Kelham's remark was cut off with a gurgle of surprise when Shepard cleared the space between them in two long strides, bodily lifting the man by his throat and then slamming him onto his back across the table. The 'reputable businessman' choked and coughed, hands wrapped around Shepard's wrist as he tried to speak.

"No, no more words, Elias," Shepard growled. "Do you know what a spectre is? Of course you do. There's a nice long speech about protecting the peace and stability of the galaxy, right hand of the Council, etcetera, etcetra. But at its most basic it means that I can kill you right here, right now. No arrest. No trial."

Reaching behind him Shepard yanked the combat knife from its sheath and then exerted all his strength, slamming the knife down so hard next to Kelham's head that the carbon-reinforced blade penetrated the thin aluminium of the table with the faint shriek of rending metal. He yanked the blade free, leaving the wide gash there next to the man's head.

"Now unless the next words out of your mouth are the name of the target for your hit and where it's going down I am going to take this knife and split you open from breastbone to groin and see what answers I can find in there. I hope I've made myself clear, Elias."

The smugness had fled Kelham's eyes finally as it finally sunk in that this wasn't just some new C-Sec shakedown, a problem that could be solved by paying off the right person or hiring the right lawyers. His mouth worked wordless for a moment before finally stammering out a reply.

"J-Joram Talid! His name is Joram Talid. He's a p-politician, the guy is supposed to make the hit when he returns from making his glad-handing rounds. His last speech is in ten minutes!"

He let go of the man and slid the knife back into its sheath, shaking his head. "You're pathetic, Elias. I'm sure your advocate will be here soon so you can get out of here and change your pants. And for your sake I hope you're not lying to me or I'll find you and finished what we started."

Thane walked around the other side of the table when Shepard motioned for him to follow. He pressed the door controls and felt the rush of air as the door slid open to reveal a man with graying hair and a well-cut suit standing there with a surprised look on his face. Tali still knelt by the door controls, placing the panel back on.

"Ah, there we go. All fixed, see?" she said.

The other man frowned, looking around Shepard to see his client still laying on the table breathing heavily.

"What is going on here?"

"Nothing at all, advocate. Your client is free to go," Shepard replied and walked away. The other two followed him to Bailey's office where the C-Sec officer waited.

"Well?"

"Joram Talid is the target. Who is he, and where do we find him? We're running very short on time," the spectre said.

"Ah, hell. Talid is the turian you interrupted my meeting with earlier. He's a local politician running on an anti-crime and anti-human platform, real slippery bastard. I get the feeling he's not any cleaner than Kelham, just better at hiding it," Bailey replied, rubbing his temples. "The election is in a few days, he's trying to get people stirred up about 'human aggression'. A lot of aliens don't like the fact that we were granted a Council seat so quickly after the Battle of the Citadel. Add in that half the cops they're seeing are human and it goes down hill from there."

"Where is this Talid located? If Kelham's information is correct we do not have long to intercept Kolyat," Thane asked.

"Three levels down, he should be finishing one of his campaign speeches in the main trading floor in the next few minutes. He has a penthouse not far away. He'll probably walk there, makes for a perfect target. You better move, I'll put together a couple of units of guys I know I can trust to follow orders and meet you there," Bailey said.

No further discussion was needed, the trio quickly heading out of C-Sec headquarters and towards one of the main elevators while Bailey called up some of his officers. They stepped into the elevator and Shepard slapped the floor indicator that Bailey had give them. He turned to Thane.

"We need your son to reveal himself, if we just go in and tackle Talid he'll just disappear before you get a chance to talk to him. It's risky but we have to wait for him to make his move. What's the chances he could have secured a sniper rifle on the Citadel?" Shepard asked.

Thane shrugged. "Almost non-existent. My contacts for such things would not have dealt with him, someone like Mouse or another small time dealer would have to supply it. A pistol, sub-machine gun at best."

"That's something at least. I'll tell Garrus and Kasumi try to cover the main exits from the level. Tali, I want you to find a terminal and see if you can prevent a general security alert if something does happen. Don't do anything that will get you caught, but even a delay will save us plenty of trouble."

The drell met his gaze, a faint smirk on his lips.

"Your interrogation technique is quite interesting, by the way. I believed you would carry out your threat for a moment," the drell said.

Shepard sighed and watched the numbers tick by slowly before responding to Thane.

"For a moment so did I."

* * *

"I've got him. Damn krogan bodyguard is anything but inconspicuous," Shepard said into the comm at his wrist.

"Understood, I see them as well."

In an effort to cover all possible angles Shepard had hacked one of the maintenance doors and gained access to the gantry and walkways above the main floor, keeping on eye on Talid's progress during his walk home as well as on the area around him on the off chance that Kolyat decided to try and take a shot from the higher position the walkways offered. Thane was shadowing the politician through the crowd, almost invisible as he slipped from person to person, shadow to shadow.

"Talid is waiting outside, the bodyguard is going inside. Do you have a better view, Shepard?" Thane asked.

"Let me take a look."

He produced a small pair of electronic binoculars from one of the pouches at his waist, glad that he'd brought his usual set of tools especially since he had forgone the helmet. Looking through the viewfinder he zoomed in on the large krogan that had just entered a small hardware shop. The krogan and human shopkeeper seemed to be arguing until the larger alien leaned over the counter threateningly, the human capitulating and sliding what looked like a credit chit across the surface of the counter.

"I don't believe this. His campaign is based on fighting organized crime and it looks like the son of a bitch is using his bodyguard to shake down locals for protection money," Shepard said.

"It would explain the fact that he has employed Blood Pack mercenaries for protection. Not your typical choice," Thane said.

"Quite true. We're on the final stretch here and I haven't seen any sign of Kolyat, though."

"We must be vigilant then," the assassin replied.

The politician continued on his way once the hulking krogan had rejoined him, occasionally stopping to try and muster support from another non-human along his path. Before long they were approaching the area that was flagged as his personal residence, his omni-tool giving a muted beep to inform him of their proximity. Glancing down at the device he almost missed the movement below. A young drell had stepped into view from behind one of the advertisement kiosks just as Talid had passed.

"Thane!" Shepard barked.

"I see him! Kolyat!" he heard the man shout.

Kolyat had already raised his weapon when his father's shout startled him. The krogan bodyguard spun in place, producing a pistol of his own only to catch a volley of shots that staggered him from the would-be assassin once he regained his composure. Talid immediately panicked and bolted into his suit, Kolyat hot on his heels.

"Dammit!" he cursed, leaping over the railing and landing in a roll. The spectre sprung to his feet and immediately began to run, Thane just ahead. Leaping up he slid the last few feet over a decorate marble slab in the middle of the small courtyard that was in front of Talid's penthouse.

The mercenary bodyguard had gained his feet once more, a few pistol rounds not nearly enough to put down an armor krogan. Shepard reached out with a hand and used the techniques that Jack had been trying to drill into him earlier, azure glow springing to life across his hand. He grabbed the krogan with a mass effect field and yanked him across the entrance to smash head first against the wall forcefully, rendering him unconscious.

He and Thane drew their own weapons as they entered the penthouse, covering each side of the room. They found Kolyat in the main living area with Joram Talid on his knees, the drell behind him. At their entrance the turian looked up.

"Spirits! Please, help me! I'll give you anything you want."

"Shut up!" Kolyat yelled.

"Kolyat, lower your weapon," Thane said, doing just as he suggested and holstering his own pistol at his hip.

"Now? You show up now? Is this a joke?" the younger drell said. He brought his weapon up to point at Thane now, causing Shepard's muscles to tense. Any other time he would have already have fired, ended the crisis in one shot, but for Thane's sake he paused.

"C-Sec! Drop the gun, boy."

Bailey and two C-Sec officers came through the door with weapons drawn. He could see the panic in the younger drell's eyes, moving between his father, Shepard, and the officers. Kolyat shook his head.

"I'm walking out of here and he's coming with me," Kolyat said, pushing the gun against the back of the turian's head.

"They'll have snipers positioned outside, son," Thane said.

"Don't call me that! Why are you even here?"

The younger drell had raised his weapon once more, jabbing it accusingly towards Thane. His arm trembled, eyelids blinking rapidly. Even Thane seemed to be at a loss at the sudden outburst, shoulders slumping slightly.

"Your father and I have killed, Kolyat. Far more than either of us could ever have wanted. There's no reason for you to start down the same path," Shepard said.

"I read the files. About your jobs, the targets, the work. What makes it okay for you, but not for me? The great Thane Krios! I would have thought you'd be proud of me. Following in your footsteps!" Kolyat said.

Thane shook his head. "No. I was six when the hanar first began my training. I've known nothing else in my life. But your mother... she woke me from my battle sleep. Showed me more."

"Then why did you leave her? Why weren't you there when she died?"

"Your mother... they killed her. To get to me. Her death was my fault," Thane said, voice thick with emotion, a deep resignation in every word.

The gun dropped slightly as surprise spread across Kolyat's face. "What?"

"My enemies hated me, but they feared me. They paid the Shadow Broker for the location of my family, killed your mother. After her body was given to the deep I slipped into my battle sleep once more. I hunted them. The trigger men. The informants. The ringleaders. I hurt them. Eventually killed them. All of them. And when I finally came back to see you... you were older. I should have stayed with you."

Kolyat looked at his father incredulously, a mixture of anger and sadness on his face. "I guess it's too bad that you waited so long."

"It is," Thane agreed and raised his hand, looking into his son's eyes as his fingers wrapped around the front of the pistol. "I cannot undo the past. But I have taken many bad things out of this world, Kolyat. You are the only good thing I have ever added to it."

For a brief moment Shepard wondered if this was where it all went wrong. One gunshot and Thane's life would end even sooner than his illness dictated, immediately after his son would follow as the C-Sec officers opened fire. But there wasn't a shot, Kolyat's finger left the trigger, a tear finally escaping his rapidly blinking eyes to trail down one scaled cheek.

"Weapons down," Bailey ordered immediately. "Mr. Krios... this isn't a conversation you should have in front of strangers. I'll have my officers escort you and your son to C-Sec. We'll give you on of the interrogation rooms, take as long as you need."

The two men behind Bailey looked more than a little surprised, but one fierce look from the Captain quelled any objections before they were raised. Thane gave the man a grateful nod and slowly guided his son from the room, the C-Sec agents flanking them.

"I'm surprised, Bailey. Even for you that's not exactly standard procedure," Shepard said.

He looked over, then C-Sec captain's eyes looked towards the window of the politician's room for a moment but didn't seem to be fixed on anything outside when he spoke.

"He's not the first man or the last to screw up trying to raise a son. There's enough grief in this world without making it worse for the sake of some regulations."

"Agreed," he replied quietly.

Joram Talid was finally struggling to his feet, slumping back against the plush couch that occupied the center of the room. His hands frantically seemed to check his person for injury, shoulders slumping in relief has he found himself intact.

"Of course now we have to deal with this little situation," Bailey said, focusing on Talid.

"I've got some ideas there too..."

"I don't know what just happened here, but I want to drell brought up on charges," the turian said shakily. "He was about to execute me in cold blood!"

"Mr. Talid," Shepard said.

"Yes? Who are you?" the turian asked.

"Unimportant, other than the fact that I just saved your life. What is important is some interesting information I've collected in the past few hours, especially about your involvement with the Blood Pack mercenary company and your 'business visits' to numerous human owned shops on this level," Shepard said calmly.

"I don't know what you're trying to imply, human. Clearly the corrupt human influences on this ward wanted me removed and they sent a scapegoat to do the job and take the fall," Talid responded.

The spectre shook his head and stepped closer to the politician. "That might work on your average dock worker or disinterested C-Sec agent, but I'm a little different, Talid. You see, most people on the Citadel are fairly sheltered. I'm not. I know all about the Blood Pack, hell I've taken apart a few battle companies of them myself."

"Now how do you think it would spin to your adoring public if I provided all the information I have on Blood Pack operations? Slaving, red sand dealing, piracy, protection rackets... and then I also send along this wonderful video imagery I have of you outside a shop today waiting for your krogan bodyguard to finish shaking down your latest victim?" he continued, holding up the digital binoculars he'd used earlier.

"That... I... that is preposterous. You can't prove anything!"

"I don't have to, remember? Election is in a few days, you'll be tore apart in the arena of public opinion before you can put a proper 'spin' on it to save your reputation. By then the election will have long past and you'll just be a barefaced memory."

The fight went out of Talid's stance and he growled out a reply. "What do you want?"

"I'm a reasonable man. And I think Captain Bailey here can agree that organized crime is a problem in Zakera Ward, right, Captain?" Shepard asked.

"Indeed. Quite the problem," the other human agreed.

"So you're going to keep running. You'll probably get elected. But you're going to stop blaming the humans for everyone's problems as an easy scapegoat. And so you don't look like a total liar you'll keep your hard line stance on organized crime. Since I trust the current protection ring will suddenly disappear for the humans you'll look like you're mending fences and hard on crime at the same time."

"You think my supporters won't be pissed that I'm suddenly being nice to the damn humans?" he asked.

"You're hardly the first politician that didn't quite live up to his campaign promises. And since you're going to work closely with the good people at C-Sec on your new anti-organized crime initiative I'm sure you'll win them back when the crime rate starts dropping."

The turian sighed. "Alright, I can see how it would work... is there anything else you'd like to demand?"

"Just keep your politics and your business clean. Otherwise the next time someone has a gun to your head help might not be so quick in coming," Shepard said coldly.

He turned and left without waiting for a response, Bailey following behind shaking his head with a slightly bemused smirk on his face. They'd only made if a few steps outside Talid's penthouse when Tali came running up.

"Is... everything... okay?" the quarian asked, out of breath.

"It is now," Shepard assured her. "Thane is on his way back to C-Sec with his son. For once no one died today."

"I can give you a lift back to the precinct if you want," Bailey offered.

"I appreciate the offer, but I suspect it's going to be awhile for Thane and his son. Would you mind paging me when it looks like they're done so we can discuss what's going to happen next?"

"Sure thing. Good work, Shepard. Wish you came around here more often," the C-Sec officer said, heading for his car.

Shepard watched him leave before motioning for Tali to proceed him as he walked slowly towards the other end of the Ward. Within a few steps she fell into line beside him, strolling in silence for a few minutes. It wouldn't be long before Kasumi and Garrus caught up to them.

"Are you okay, Shepard?" Tali asked, breaking the silence.

"I... yea, I think so. Everything worked out for once, just feels like a drop in the bucket. I remember when I first set foot on the Citadel. It was all so shiny and new. It's only gotten darker since," he sighed.

"Maybe. But as long as there are people willing to try to make it better, I think it's not quite so bad."

He smiled, glancing over at her. "My little optimist."

"Someone around here has to be. You and Garrus are The Brothers Gloom," she teased.

"Is that so? I think someone has been poking at the Normandy's Earth literature databases too," Shepard laughed.

"Maybe," Tali said innocently. "So what now? You've charged off to avert another crisis. I guess we need to contact the Council about getting a dock for the Normandy's upgrades?"

Shepard shook his head. "Not just yet. Every been shopping on the Citadel?"

"Please, half the shops have 'no quarians' signs posted. It's just a question of whether they mean customers or prospective employees. What are you up to?"

"Just been holding myself back because of stupid reasons and I've been meaning to pick something up. Now come on, let's see them try to kick Commander Shepard out of their shop," Shepard smirked.

The quarian's response was quiet, but he could hear the smile in her voice.

"Lead on,_ hesh'alan_."


	26. Chapter 25

Being the Hero of the Citadel did wonders for the attitude of your average business owner even if Shepard wasn't quite as easily recognized as two years ago. If Zakera Ward's shops did have an anti-quarian bias any unfriendly signs or snide remarks were quickly shelved when he made it clear that Tali was with him. And if the name dropping didn't have the desired effect, well, the heavy pistol resting on his hip certainly encouraged at least a modicum of politeness.

"You know I never expected you to be the type to profit off your reputation," Tali said with a laugh as they left the weapon merchant's shop.

Shepard shrugged, spinning the new heavy pistol he'd acquired once like a gunslinger from an old American West vid before slipping it into the holster on his hip.

"The guy was so... enthusiastic. And he did have a very good selection."

"You know my Predator was just fine. This thing wasn't cheap," Tali said and pointed to the matching weapon that now adorned her holster.

"I think part of being one of the most elite teams in the galaxy entitles you to a few extravagant pieces of top-grade equipment," Shepard countered. "Besides, look at it. Integral laser sight and micro-lamp, not to mention twenty percent higher muzzle velocity than a Predator with much better penetration. Plus with a little tinkering I'd bet you can make some additional modifications with the extra space in the shroud and this under-barrel rail."

The engineer had pulled the weapon free once more and was eying the underside of the pistol.

"Ooh, you're right. Just pop that there and... nice try, almost distracted me. Four thousand credits is a lot of money, Shepard!"

"You know, humans have tradition of giving gifts," he said.

"Is that so? So all humans buy military-grade pistols for their girlfriends?" Tali asked teasingly, and then immediately placed a hand over the blinking light of her voice modulator. "Keelah, I can't believe I just said that... I didn't mean-"

He chuckled. "It's okay, you're allowed to use the word you know."

"It's still kind of strange. And if someone overheard," she shrugged.

"Then it's their problem. I-"

"Ooh shiny!" Kasumi chirped, suddenly materializing next to the pair, eying the pistol Tali held in her hands. "Sorry, what were you two talking about?"

After he reigned in his immediate instinct to lash out, Shepard fixed the thief with a displeased glare which she returned with wide-eyed innocence before returning to examine the new pistol that had been 'liberated' from Tali's three-fingered grip. He sighed.

"How long were you standing there?" he asked.

"Huh? Oh, I just got here. Garrus claimed he knew the Wards better than me so we had a contest to see who could find you first," Kasumi replied.

"A contest that I don't recall including personal stealth fields to avoid crowds and security," Garrus' voice said behind them.

"You never specified. The devil is in the details, G-man," Kasumi said triumphantly.

"Ugh. I'll admit defeat if you promise to never use that name in reference to me again," the turian conceded, shaking his head with exasperation.

A faint laugh came from Tali at the brief exchange while Shepard was more interested in the long scrape along left side of Garrus' armor. It wasn't extremely deep but it was at least enough to get past the primarily cosmetic outer layer of blue coating. He gestured towards the turian's side.

"What the heck have you two been doing?"

"Long story. Seems in my absence the power structure of the lower Wards has changed. Just had to educate some individuals on why it's a bad idea to play power games with random strangers that also happen to be exceedingly more capable than them," Garrus replied. His mandibles pulled upwards in the equivalent of a cruel smirk.

"Yea, he's not so bad once you get to know him," Kasumi said.

Shepard snorted. "He's worse. You'll figure that out soon."

"No respect, Shepard. I get none at all," Garrus moaned with strained melodrama before finally taking note of the pistol that Tali had finally reacquired from the thief. "I also don't get those. What is this? It looks classy. And dangerous. Two of my favorite things."

"A recent acquisition," the spectre grinned, patting his own holster. "Weapon shop over there has them in stock, very nice. Apparently packs even more punch than my old Carnifex and has all these lovely accessories."

"So you decided to buy a matched set? And leave poor Garrus out in the cold?"

"Well seeing as how I negotiated a discount with said merchant, I'm sure you could pick up one of your own if you really want one. I was actually thinking of ordering some more if funds allow after we give them a test run," he replied.

"And how would I pay for these lovely toys? With my stunning good looks? Maybe if I only let him see me from the left side," Garrus mused sarcastically.

"Garrus, have you actually looked at your personal account since you came on-board the Normandy?"

The turian cocked a brow. "No. Thankfully nobody has asked me to settle my tab on the Normandy."

Rather than reply he simply stood there expectantly until Garrus finally relented and brought up his omni-tool. With exaggerated gestures his clawed fingers typed in a few pieces of information and then he waited. A few seconds later the program gave a low beep and the turian's mandibles spread wide in surprise, matching his eyes.

"What in the hell?"

Shepard laughed. "The Cerberus crew draws a salary, just like in the regular military. When you were logged as Normandy crew under the 'special operations' heading you also got put on the payroll. Some shell corporation or another, when I contacted our elusive benefactor about it he stated that people that were dedicated to a cause and getting paid for it were far easier to work with than volunteers."

"Wait, you mean Cerberus has been paying him?" Tali asked.

"All of you, actually. I'm fairly certain it won't make you rich but it's definitely more than the Alliance ever wired into my account even as an officer," he confirmed. "So there wouldn't be an security worries I had him wire all the funds into a separate, secure account and then used that account to provide payouts to your personal accounts. I'm sure Cerberus has all the information anyways, but figure couldn't hurt to add one more layer."

"So I have money," Garrus stated.

"And I was already... comfortable," Kasumi said with a smirk.

"Yes, Garrus. Your loyalty has finally paid off, you are not a destitute servant of justice. You're now a moderately compensated servant of justice. And I think that the turian that runs that weapon shop had at least one more of these beauties under the counter," Shepard said. "Just run my name by him and he'll give you the discount we worked out."

There was another brief pause as everyone assimilated this new information before he noticed Kasumi and Garrus' gazes lock. The thief's smile grew predatory.

"Dibs!" she chirped.

Garrus was already moving towards the shop, following the darting thief and leaving the spectre and engineer staring after them in amusement. Opening his own omni-tool Shepard transmitted a message and called after their departing comrades.

"Be back at the Normandy by nineteen hundred!"

"Well, at least they're getting along," Tali said. "I was worried Garrus would revert to his old C-Sec ways with Kasumi, start giving 'right and wrong' speeches."

He shook his head. "I think whatever was left of that old, by the books Garrus disappeared on Omega. Almost worries me, if he ever leaves the Normandy I don't think he could go back to being a 'proper turian'."

"I don't think he ever was. It just took a certain human to make him realize it."

"Maybe so," he chuckled and motioned towards the stairs leading to the next level down. "Come on, we've got some more stops to make."

"I thought the guns were what we came here for?" the quarian asked.

"Nope, I'm afraid I just got distracted by the shiny toys. Just like someone else in my company."

Tali cuffed him on the arm lightly. "Bosh'tet."

"One day you're going to have to teach me what all these words actually mean. Until then, I've got some of Cerberus' money to burn upgrading our gear."

They made it down to the next level and found themselves at the Saronis Applications. While he was interested in some basic upgrades for their combat tech protocols and some security suites to attempt to keep his private files actually private from prying Cerberus eyes, Tali had quite the field day sorting through the various drivers, efficiency programs, and upgraded VI assistants. After a few other customers had left including a less than friendly volus, Shepard spent some time talking with the salarian that ran the shop. It seemed he also recognized the Hero of the Citadel and it wasn't long before he'd secured another considerable discount on the various programs Tali had collected.

"I thought you objected to spending money?" he asked.

"Only because I've never really had a great deal of it. Look at these, power regulation drivers for the secondary plasma flow units that are at least three percent more efficient than the ones we have!" Tali replied excitedly.

Looking down the list he frowned. "Tali, over half of these are software upgrades for Normandy's sub-systems. And this one is a targeting sub-routine for everyone's helmet systems."

"And?"

"These are upgrades for the ship and the team," he said, tapping his omni-tool and sending the list to the shop's terminal. "Which means the should be paid for out of the mission's funds, not yours."

"Well what else am I supposed to use it for, Shepard? I'm a quarian, our first concern is always the ship. I don't think I've ever had an account with much more than a thousand credits in it before and that was when I was sent on my Pilgrimage."

"They're personal funds. Use them on, you know, personal expenses," Shepard suggested.

"That is not terribly helpful," the engineer responded dryly. "Everything I own consists of my suit, a few extra tools, and my weapons."

"Guess we'll have to figure it out as we go then."

The attendant motioned him over, showing him the display of the order list and requesting confirmation. He pressed the 'accept' button and transfered the funds. Nodding the salarian smiled.

"Thank you for your business, Commander. Your credit chit."

He glanced down at the small rectangle and then tapped his arm. "Not mine, direct fund transfer."

"Oh. It must belong to that volus. I'll keep it behind the counter, I'm sure he'll come back for it eventually," the salarian said.

They exited the store and slowly trotted down to the next level, Shepard studiously trying to avoid the highly annoying intelligent advertisement boards. As always the ward markets were a bustle of activity, most every race in Council space represented in at least some fashion. Looking over at Tali he smiled.

"You know if not for the fact that I've got the meet the Council in an hour, spending the morning preventing an assassination and the fact that everything we've bought is going to be used in what amounts to a war, this has felt almost like what normal people might do."

"You'd be unhappy with normal," Tali said, sidestepping a rushing turian that didn't even spare the pair of them a second glance.

He shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe not. I've never had a chance to find out."

"The idea of you sitting around somewhere filing data is quite amusing now that I think about it, though," Tali mused. "I suspect you'd end up doing something violent to the console after a few hours."

Shepard smiled at the comment and resisted the urge to close the distance between them two of them with an arm around the quarian's shoulders. He knew that she still wanted to keep their burgeoning relationship out of the public view, and he wanted to let her adapt at her own pace. If there was one thing he couldn't deny was that they were anything but normal. Ancient races, secret organizations, and an insane quest that didn't seem to have an end, but had resulted in meeting the people he now though of as friends, and the one that he considered quite more than that.

The spectre glanced over at Tali and smiled. She was right, he was glad he hadn't settled for normal.

* * *

Tali was enjoying the moment of normalcy despite her earlier comment, no one shooting at them or threatening them, just visiting a few stores and making some purchases. Admittedly some of those purchases were military hardware, targeting software upgrades for ship-grade mass drivers, and other such less than average items. It was still a pleasant change. Not to mention being treated like a regular customer instead of being followed around the store and unsubtly urged to leave.

Of course that wasn't because of any large shift in galactic opinion, despite having helped defeat Saren and save the collective asses of everyone on the Citadel there hadn't been an upsurge in goodwill for quarians. The credit had all been given to Shepard, but she knew it wasn't his fault. It still surprised her how he often reacted at people that treated her or other quarians poorly, she had come to accept it but it seemed to genuinely offend the man.

Ahead of them a minor commotion interrupted her thoughts. A volus' squat rotund form stood in contrast to the taller, slim quarian female across from him while a human C-Sec agent stood between the pair. They were off to one side of the alcove that made up the landing of each level of stairs, the quarian leaning against the wall shaking her head.

"She stole my credit chit, I demand that you arrest her!" the volus hissed.

"I didn't steal your damn credit chit! You barged into me and then didn't even apologize!"

The C-Sec agent held up his hands. "I'll decide who did what."

"You already took your damn time searching me!" the quarian said. "How much more through do you need to be to see that I don't have his credit chit?"

Shepard frowned and motioned for Tali to follow him, giving her the signal to hang back as he approached the group. It wasn't really his problem, but from what little she overheard she guessed that his own 'white knight' complex, as Miranda termed it, wouldn't let him walk away. While his XO had made it sound like a deficiency Tali knew it was one of the things that had set him apart from so many others she'd met.

"What's going on here?" he asked.

The human only spared him a brief glance before looking back down at the dataslate he had in his hand. "Sir, this is a C-Sec matter. Your assistance is not needed, please just let us do our job."

"I'm just curious about the situation," Shepard said, maintaining a friendly tone. The faint twitch in his jaw betrayed his urge to interject something less diplomatic, something she had noticed more often as the weeks had passed.

"The situation is simple. This pickpocket has stolen my credit chit. Arrest her!" the volus interjected. "She probably makes her living robbing innocent bystanders."

"Look, I searched her and my scan confirms she doesn't have the chit on her. It's possible that she stashed it somewhere to be retrieved later," the agent said.

"I'm not a pickpocket! I'm on my Pilgrimage. It's a-" she began. She noticed the C-Sec officer look up and roll his eyes and clearly preparing to speak.

Shepard surprised her, finishing for her before the other human could interrupt. "A rite of passage to earn your place on a vessel in the Migrant Fleet."

The young quarian looked at him in obvious surprise. "Yes, you're right. I haven't met many humans that know about our ways."

Tali had been hanging back, biting her tongue, but finally stepped around his taller, broader form that had been keeping her out of line of sight. The volus started at the presence of another quarian, shuffling warily from foot to foot. He looked familiar but volus were hard to tell, they didn't seem to favor a great deal of customization to their environment suits like her people did.

"This particular human, at least, is considerably well-versed," Tali said, a hint of pride creeping into her voice.

"Another quarian comes out of the woodwork to defend her own kind," the volus scoffed and jabbed an accusing finger in Tali's direction. "Probably her accomplice!"

The C-Sec agent looked less than amused at the interference and rapidly growing argument. His mouth was set in an unpleasant line, facial expression only confirming what his disinterested tone had already told her: that he was annoyed at even having to deal with the entire situation.

"Wouldn't be the first time pickpockets have worked in teams. All I know is that when a quarian shows up here it means trouble," the man said. "Don't pay taxes, work under the table, end up stealing and running illegal salvage."

"The only reason some quarians resort to theft is because people like you," Tali said, jabbing a finger at the volus. "Won't let them have real jobs! All we want to do is complete our Pilgrimages-."

"Look I don't give a damn about your traditions. And since 'C-Sec business' wasn't enough of a hint you've earned yourself a search as well. Face the wall, please. Legs apart, hands against the wall," the officer said, addressing her and jerking a thumb towards the bulkhead.

Tali frowned. Two years ago she would have probably of complied with only a few biting comments before submitting to a search that, if the other quarian's comment earlier was any indication, would have been far too familiar for her tastes. Now she wasn't feel so generous, crossing her arms and preparing to object when Shepard beat her to the punch, taking another step forward to unsubtly place himself between her and the C-Sec officer.

"I don't think so," he said firmly. "Just because she's a quarian, or any other race for that matter, doesn't give you the right to harass her or demand she submit to a search."

"What part of C-Sec officer did you not get? I wasn't a question," the man said.

Giving Shepard a quick look up and down she saw the officer's eyes widen slightly when he realized that there was a gun holstered at Shepard's hip, gaze flicking over to her to notice the same. His hand dropped to his waist and popped the strap over his sidearm, drawing the weapon and holding it low in front of him when he addressed the spectre again.

"Okay, let me try this again. I'm going to ask your quarian there to submit to a search as part of an ongoing investigation and I'm going to want to see some permits for that hardware you're both carrying."

She heard Shepard sigh heavily, carefully keeping his hands away from his own weapon. He motioned for her to stand down even as she itched to draw her own weapon. It probably wasn't a good idea, racist or not he was still a C-Sec officer, but she had gotten extremely tired of people shooting at her over the intervening two years. The volus that had originally made the accusation was shuffling nervously backwards looking between the two humans.

"Wait a damn minute, I remember you now," Shepard said suddenly to the volus, snapping his fingers and completely ignoring the officer and his drawn weapon. "You were in Saronis Applications earlier. You didn't have your credit chit stolen: you forgot it and just assumed that a quarian must of stolen it rather than your own forgetfulness. The attendant has your chit behind the counter."

"I-What? Saronis... I... oh... wait, I guess I did..." the volus muttered. His shoulders straightened and he looked at the other quarian once more. "Well, she could have stolen it!"

"That's all you have to say? 'She could have stolen it?' You were trying to get someone arrested for a crime they didn't commit!" Tali hissed, trying to push around Shepard once more, but he extended his arm to block her path.

She balled her fists and nodded, stepping back once more. The volus constantly complained how the Council overlooked them despite their ever increasing economic influence and numerous colonies. It galled her that this supposedly 'downtrodden' race that couldn't get their own seat on the Council so easily looked down on her own people.

"Hey!" the C-Sec officer barked, bringing his weapon up slightly. "Whether or not she stole the volus' credit chit, I'd bet my salary that she's still a vagrant without papers which mean I should toss her ass in lock up."

"The girl gets falsely accused and your response is to threaten her for something else?" Shepard said.

"Yea, and how about I run you in for obstruction of justice?" the officer said. "By the time we finish processing you I'm sure we can have these two vagrants on a one-way shuttle trip off the Citadel. So why don't you get face down on the ground with your hands behind your head."

To punctuate his demand the human agent moved to raise his gun to cover Shepard and the pair of quarians, only to suddenly find himself shoved against the bulkhead with one of Shepard's arms against his collarbone, the pistol yanked downwards and out of his grip all in one smooth motion. When Shepard spoke the pretense of politeness was gone.

"Tell me officer... Tammert," he said, now close enough to apparently read the name laser etched on the man's badge. "How exactly did you plan on running in a member of the Council's Special Tactics and Reconnaissance unit?"

"Human... spectre?" the man said, wincing as Shepard's weight pressed him against the wall.

"If you'd waited a few seconds I'd have told you that my name is Commander John Shepard, and that I'm authorized, as are all of my crew, to carry weapons anywhere we want on the Citadel. But you were a little too interested in exercising your authority over some 'damn quarians'. So I'm going to let you down, give you back your gun, and send you on your way. And if you apologize to..." Shepard explained calmly, and then trailed off, glancing over at the other quarian.

"Lia'Vael nar Ulnay," she supplied.

He nodded and continued. "If you apologize to Miss nar Ulnay and try to avoid abusing your authority in the future I might not tell Captain Bailey about this little incident. Or I give you the gun back, you try to arrest me again, and I show you what I usually do to people that point guns at me."

"Okay, okay," Tammert said quickly.

Shepard eased off and let him down, shoving the Predator back into his hand after thumbing on the safety. The man leaned against the bulkhead for a moment and rubbed at his neck, likely already feeling where the bruises would soon be springing up.

"I'm sorry for... ah... not following proper procedure and assuming your guilt, ma'am," he apologized haltingly.

While the more rational part of her mind was worried that Shepard might be making trouble for himself the man's sudden change in demeanor brought a rather satisfied smile to Tali's face, even if no one could see it. Let Miranda roll her eyes at Shepard's 'complex'. It was that stubborn unwillingness to care about the status quo along with that disarming smirk that had first stirred up those emotions that she was just now learning how to embrace.

"Good enough. Looks like her accuser already bolted, so I think we can call this settled can't we, Officer Tammert?" the spectre asked.

"Yes sir. I'll make sure I file the report that the volus' accusation was proven false and Lia'Vael nar Ulnay is cleared of all suspicion," Tammert said, shoving his sidearm back into its holster and slowly backing away, finally turning to leaving when it was clear that Shepard was done with him.

After the man had gone she rested a hand on Shepard's arm. "Keelah, Shepard. You're really pushing it. If the Council hears about you using your Spectre status on the Citadel..."

"I think if they hear about anything it won't be this particular incident," he said, causing her to wonder just what they were likely to be hearing about.

Lia'Vael nodded at them both, stepping forward with her hands clasped in front of her nervously. Her build was typical of quarians, slim and athletic, a few inches shorter than Tali. Her veil was a muted, almost gun metal blue with a faint hex pattern with a smokey visor to match.

"Thank you. I... I wish I could give you something more than words."

"Your Pilgrimage isn't going so well, is it?" Tali asked.

"No," the other quarian said, sighing dejectedly. "I thought there would be salvage work, EVA, that sort of stuff. They're still repairing the Citadel after the geth attack. But everywhere I went the signs said 'No quarians' or I was told they 'weren't hiring' despite the signs everywhere that said otherwise."

She glanced at Shepard, shrugging her shoulders in apology. They had been clearly been moving towards somewhere with a purpose, but she couldn't help but remember how lonely she'd been on her own Pilgrimage before joining the Normandy. Rather that look annoyed, however, he just gave one of those same lopsided smiles and motioned for her to head towards one of the benches against the other wall.

"Why don't you tell me about what you've been doing. I came here on my own Pilgrimage a few years ago. Maybe I can give you some tips?"

Tali said guided the younger woman over to the bench and taking a seat next to Lia'Vael while Shepard dropped into a crouch next to them, leaning his back against the wall. The other quarian sat for a moment, fingers picking at the fabric of her veil nervously before she finally spoke.

"Thank you again, and I'd appreciate any advice you can give. I spend a lot of time at the used ship dealer, they have so many nice models that I wish I could bring back to the fleet," she said.

"Even used starships are expensive," Shepard said gently.

"I know," Lia'Vael sighed once more. "And I spend most my nights in a turian shelter, eating unflavored nutrient paste. They're the only nice people I've met this entire time on the Citadel... well, and you two. C-Sec treats me like a criminal just for existing. I never would have expected a human to help me."

"Don't judge them all because of a few C-Sec agents. Some of them are more helpful than you could imagine," Tali said.

Shepard pushed himself to his feet, pressing a credit chit into her hand and nodding towards Lia'Vael. He smiled and she felt his touch on her shoulder, squeezing lightly.

"I'm going to head up to the Presidium and meet with the Council. Why don't you and Lia'Vael catch up and I'll page your omni-tool when I'm done. I'm not the best judge of these things, but I'm pretty sure I remember a little cafe next to the C-Sec offices that had a turian claiming to have the best cuisine on the Citadel. And I suspect they have purified food for quarians," Shepard said, giving her a wink. It was another strange human facial expression but she had picked up on its meaning quickly thanks to Joker and Shepard.

"I-I couldn't. A quarian is supposed to complete her Pilgrimage on her own..." Lia'Vael began.

Shepard shook his head. "There's no shame in getting a little help when you need it, Miss nar Ulnay. Besides, my crewmate here is also very bad about not indulging herself in some proper food as often as she should. So I'm ordering her to go eat a nice meal. And I see no reason she should have to go alone."

"Is that so?" Tali asked, her tone teasing.

"A direct order," he confirmed.

"Of course,_ hesh'alan_," she said, finding herself still enjoying using the formal title in her native tongue.

His only response was a smile and a casual salute before heading towards the elevator, both quarians watching him go. Lia'Vael was staring at him curiously as if trying to unlock some secret about him.

"Shepard. Commander Shepard?" she said finally putting the pieces together. "That means you're the quarian that was with him on the Battle of the Citadel."

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, at your service ship-sister," she confirmed. "Now, since I've been given a direct order by my captain, why don't we go see about that restaurant?"

"I'd like that... one question, though. I mean, he seems to know so much about our people..."

She looked at the younger quarian, wondering if she was about to have to answer or avoid some very awkward question. Living in close quarters aboard a ship for the majority of their lives left her people with far less inhibitions about inquiring for private details than most other races.

"Yes?"

"He does realize that Ulnay is the name of my birth-ship, not my actual surname, right?"

Tali couldn't help but laugh, placing a hand lightly on the other girl's arm and guiding her towards the stairs. "Come on, I can teach you a little about humans too. He does know, by the way, it's just something he does. Sometimes it's easier to just humor them."

"I see..."

* * *

"What's it like serving on a ship like that? It must be amazing! So sleek and advanced," Lia'Vael said, sounding very much like a teenager with a crush.

Her three-toed feet rested on the bottom rung of the tall chair that she was sitting in, matching the elevated table that was almost waist level when they were standing. It seemed rather precarious to Tali, but the owner had said it was a human style called a 'high top'.

It had been well over an hour since they had arrived at the small cafe. The turian owner did have purified food, a large variety of nutrient pastes along with a few whole items like the same reddish nuts that she had enjoyed on Illium. Lia'Vael had still be reluctant at first to accept the offered food and Tali had been amused to find her position reversed for once. Instead of Shepard trying to convince her to indulge she was the one doing the encouraging. So she practically forced a tube of a mixed meat and plant based foodtube that the turian behind he counter had promised would delight without going overboard.

Once she had gotten her first taste, though, the reticence vanished and Tali spend the minutes munching on her own food and offering bits of advice she had picked up during her Pilgrimage before joining the Normandy. The younger quarian devoured the offered food with pleased sounds until she couldn't hold anymore, leaning against the table and beginning to ask questions instead of just listening.

"It's completely different than any ship in the Flotilla. One of the things that struck me the most was how quiet it was. When I first came on board I actually had trouble sleeping. The first few days I thought it was just from the excitement but I finally realized it was because I was always used to hearing the hissing of air filters or the hum of the engines vibrating," Tali admitted.

"I guess I never really thought of that... even here there's always noise of some kind. I guess you got used to it."

"Eventually," she said, smiling to herself and shaking her head. "Shepard actually found me in the ship's mess during third shift not long after I joined the crew and I ended up telling him about why I couldn't sleep. The next day I found a little device taped to the inside of the sleeper pod: he'd taken apart a small civilian comm unit and used the vibration unit to make this little machine that would hum faintly for about half an hour when you turned it on. After a few weeks I finally adjusted."

Lia spun the now empty food tube on the table in front of her, sighing. "All I ever get from people on this station are dirty looks or an extra friendly pat down from a C-Sec officer that thought I looked 'suspicious'."

"I know it seems like it, but they're not all bad. I was starting to think the same thing before I ended up on the Normandy. Now..." Tali shrugged.

"Now you're calling a human _hesh'alan_?" Lia suggested slyly. "I didn't do the best in history but I don't think that's happened before. I'd think the Admiralty Board would have a fit if they found out."

Tali forced herself to keep her hands still on the table top. "Shepard earned the title. He went far beyond what anyone could of asked of him. For people that he didn't even know and for his crew. And the Board is aware. He's actually been to the Flotilla and addressed the Admirals, even yelled them down when they were... being unreasonable."

She left out the part where Shepard was yelling at them because of her own trial for treason. Just the fact that he'd defied the Admirals was enough that she could almost see the surprise in the other quarian's eyes through her visor.

"It's not just Shepard, though," she continued quickly. "After my first few weeks on Pilgrimage I thought the rest of the races in the galaxy were intolerant brutes but I have friends on board the Normandy that include a salarian and even a krogan. The turian on the ship used to work for C-Sec, trained to be a spectre. And I trust him with my life."

"Wow, I wish my Pilgrimage was half as exciting. I feel like I'm stuck, that I'll never get home unless I accept the shame of coming back empty handed... and I just can't do that."

Reaching out Tali touched the other woman's hand. "Don't give up. And don't think my life is like the Adventures of the Paus vids."

"Seems to be getting pretty close," Lia said, laughing weakly.

Tali shook her head. "It's not. The guns don't shoot bright colored lights and when someone is hurt there's blood and screaming. I wouldn't change where I am for anything but... I've experienced more loss than I thought I could ever bear."

"What kept you going?"

"Duty, for a long time," she said, thinking of the years aboard the Neema, one mission seeming to blur into another. "Later I found... friends, a family I guess, to help me do more than just survive."

"I guess being the Admiral's daughter wasn't as easy as everyone said," Lia stated, then shrugged her shoulders when Tali cocked her head faintly in surprise. "I might have been born on the Ulnay but everyone knows who Rael'Zorah is. Admiral Han'Gerrel used to inspect the Ulnay sometimes, but he never left before he told all the kids a few of his war stories. I guess your father must be proud, I mean not many quarians get to say they've served with a Council spectre."

The mentioned of her father's name caused Tali's throat to tighten in a surprising rush of emotion. She had told herself that after leaving the Flotilla after the trial that it had been over, she'd come to terms with what had happened, but hearing Lia'Vael talking about him as if he was still alive blind-sided her. She resisted the urge to ask aloud if he'd even been proud of her.

She swallowed heavily and spoke, managing to keep her voice level. "Rael'Zorah, my father is... no longer with us. He died in an accident aboard a research ship a little over a month ago."

"Keelah. Forgive me, ship-sister, your father... I didn't know," Lia said quickly, bowing her head.

"It's okay, you couldn't have known having been away from the Fleet."

Lia extended her hands tentatively, placing them on top of Tali's and speaking quietly. "May his spirit watch over fleet and family, in peace and in conflict, between stars and seas."

"Keelah se'lai," Tali said, the benediction bringing a faint, sad smile to her face.

"Keelah se'lai," Lia repeated and looked back up.

She inclined her head at the other quarian. "Thank you. An old ritual. It's probably the most ceremony my father will receive, but I... I think he would have approved."

"The Ulnay is an old ship, many of our traditions aren't much changed from the homeworld," Lia said. "I'm sorry for bringing up your grief. Maybe I can ask you a more pleasant question?"

"Certainly. I don't want to dwell on the past, there's nothing there for me."

Lia leaned across the table and dropped her voice down to a quiet, conspiratorial tone. "Your captain. He looks like he's seen a lot of battle, but for a human... he's kind of cute, don't you think?"

If she had been drinking something it would likely be coating the inside her of mask in that moment, the question completely taking her off guard once more. This young quarian might like looking at ships but she was beginning to wonder if she might be more suited to taking after Kelly. That woman could also throw some completely unexpected, and all too perceptive, questions into any conversation.

"I... well," Tali stammered faintly.

And then nearly jumped out of her seat at the sudden baritone voice behind her, interrupting her already scattered train of thought. Her hands grabbed the edge of the table in a vice-like grip to keep her balance in the tall chair.

"Good evening, ladies. I hope that the restaurant didn't disappoint. I'd hate to think I'd ordered one of my crew to eat somewhere sub-standard."

"Shepard! You almost made my heart freeze," Tali hissed, whirling her head around to look at the spectre standing just behind her with a lop-sided smirk.

"Have to keep in practice," he replied simply.

"The food was very good. It's more than I've eaten all week," Lia'Vael said to him. "I can't thank you enough."

"Please, don't worry about it. You didn't deserve to be harassed and you don't deserve the treatment you've been getting here either. I just like to think of it as trying to balance things out a little," Shepard said.

"The Council?" Tali urged after a moment.

"Ah... long story, I'll tell you about it later," the spectre said with a frown.

Lia'Vael glanced between the two of them and got down from her chair, stepping over and inclining her head at them both in turn.

"I should go. I want to get to the shelter before it gets too late. Thank you again, and thank you for the advice. I won't give up, maybe I won't be able to bring a ship back, but I'll find my Pilgrimage gift."

"Wait... here," Tali said, opening her omni-tool and quickly sending a small data burst. "You can use this extranet address to contact me. I know you don't want to send a message back to Fleet asking for help, but if you just need someone to talk to... I can't promise I'll always answer immediately, but I'll try."

Shepard chuckled. "Well if we're giving out information, I've got one more piece for you. You should be receiving a message sometime in the next day or so from a friend. It might not be exactly the kind of work you were looking for, but I think he might have an idea of something to help you get out of the hole you're in."

"If nothing else you've proven that humans aren't nearly as bad as I thought. Keelah sel'ai, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, Shepard vas Normandy."

They watched the quarian walk away, her gait looked far more confident than before. As much as she wanted too Tali had resisted trying to just give her money, it was clear the girl wanted to make it on her own. Of course she was now curious at exactly what Shepard had been up to. She cocked her head at Shepard, tapping her foot.

"A friend?"

"Bailey," he said.

"Bailey?"

He shrugged. "I stopped by C-Sec on the way back from my meeting to check on Thane, he was still talking with his son. I chatted with Bailey for a minute and might have mentioned a certain officer Tammert."

"I thought you said you wouldn't tell Bailey about that?" Tali laughed.

"No, I said 'maybe'. Makes it okay," Shepard grinned. "Then we both struck upon a little idea. Corruption is always a problem with C-Sec, Bailey himself admitted to his little arrangement with Kelham though it sounds like that won't be lasting much longer. The low level stuff is more of a problem from a public relations perspective, though. C-Sec officers abusing their authority, especially human ones, just breeds resentment. So why not try to ferret out the troublemakers early."

"You mean like use Lia'Vael as bait for people like Tammert? Shepard, she's young... it could be dangerous..."

"She can't be much younger than another quarian I know that went toe to toe with Fist's assassins," he pointed out. "And you didn't let me finish."

She was skeptical but sighed, letting Shepard guide her from the restaurant. "Okay, finish."

"Well, Kolyat is also in a little legal hot water. We prevented him from doing anything too stupid and not many people witnessed it. Joram Talid has... declined to press charges. The boy has some of his father's skills, though. So Bailey is going to have him shadowing Lia during these little operations so he can call in back up if anything goes badly. Kolyat does his 'community service', learns some useful skills, and Lia gets a steady income to help her finish her Pilgrimage. And Bailey will make sure nothing happens to either of them."

"I guess I was a little too hasty. That does sound like a good idea. Another problem fixed by Shepard," Tali said, reaching out to poke him lightly in the side. "White knight."

He rolled his eyes. "You've been talking to Miranda?"

"Mmhmm... she's lightened up a little since I first came on board. We even had a short conversation in the mess hall."

"Wonders may never cease," Shepard said with a laugh. "Now, we've got one last stop to make before these shops close and we head back to the Normandy."

"Oh?" she asked.

Shepard didn't deign to provide her with an answer, just continuing to move through the crowd. It was now technically 'night' by the Citadel's time, the crowd not really thinning, just changing from workers in pressed business suits and tourists to people in evening garb heading to their favorite night spot and last minute shoppers. She couldn't quite figure out what else Shepard could be looking for on this level of the Citadel.

A few minutes later she was surprised to find him leading them into the Citadel giftshop. Numerous small ship models, garments bearing slogans in a variety of languages or emblazoned with Citadel imagery adorned the walls. Understanding finally dawned on her when his hand cupped her elbow and guided her to the back, the wall covered in faintly glowing blue tanks.

"Fish?" she said.

"Fish," Shepard confirmed. "I have that ridiculously large tank on the wall of my cabin. In all this time its just sat there circulating water for no particular reason. I thought... maybe it was time to add a little life to the place."

Each tank was probably a foot square, half a dozen fish of particular species in each one. She traced a finger over the cool glass, watching their forms dart away from the movement before looking to Shepard.

"Good idea. What kind are you going to get?"

"Well, I was kind of hoping you'd help me with that," he said.

She blinked. "Me? It's the captain's cabin. Your cabin."

"Maybe. But I was... hoping that you might be interested in spending a little more time there too," Shepard said with a smile. "And if you are, I don't see why you shouldn't help me pick out some fish. Besides, my eye for colors and design is horrible. I'd just end up picking out a bunch of ugly fish."

"You know that sounds like you're inviting me to your cabin, my captain," Tali said, her voice low and teasing.

With few customers in the store his hand found its way to her back, fingers slowly trailing down to the base of her spine in a way that made her legs tremble faintly. "That's exactly what I'm doing, Miss vas Normandy. I hope it's not too scandalous for you. I believe I told you before that EDI has been informed that you have clearance to my cabin at any time."

"A little scandalous... but I don't think I'll complain," she agreed.

In that moment she wished Shepard could see her smile, see her face at all. Which made her think of something else that she needed to do before they left the Citadel, another faint shiver radiating down her body. Shaking herself she tried to focus on the small aquatic creatures darting in their tanks in front of her.

"Does that mean you'll help the poor soldier pick out some non-ugly fish?" Shepard asked.

Tali laughed.

"Okay... maybe one or two."

* * *

A little less than hour later found them back at the Normandy. One or two fish had turned into roughly a dozen, most of which Tali had picked out with the help of the asari attendant pointing out certain ones that were compatible and others that weren't. For his part Shepard had only made one particular choice, something called a frogfish.

It was brown and orange, rather asymmetrical, and lumpy. Tali had thought it was part of the tank decorations until it had moved slowly across the sandy tank bottom. It was simply so ugly that he had insisted on purchasing the small creature despite the quarian's wonderment as to who would ever actually purchase such a thing. Which is of course exactly why he bought it.

Thane had sent a message while they were on their way back that he would rejoin them later, wanting to take as much time with his son while he had a chance and Shepard had quickly replied, telling him to not to worry. Garrus and Kasumi had apparently returned sometime earlier.

Now he sat with Tali on the couch in his quarters, having removed his armor and applied another round of medi-gel to his rapidly fading bruises. Tali was leaning against his side as they watched the newest residents of his cabin adapt to their new home.

"Not bad for a 'normal day'," she said.

"I won't complain. Tomorrow it's back to saving the galaxy," Shepard said.

"Tomorrow."

He smiled and slipped an arm around Tali's waist.

"Indeed."

They sat in silence a long while. Fish darted to and fro, water bubbled. The frogfish sat grumpily at the bottom of the tank, resting on a small rocky outcropping as if it was a king surveying its domain. Shepard smiled and muttered quietly to himself.

"I think I'll call that one 'Wrex'..."


	27. Chapter 26

"Commander Shepard?"

Shepard started awake, hand reaching towards a non-existent weapon on his hip as he blinked rapidly to clear his vision. After a brief second his brain caught up to years of instincts and light sleeping, causing him to relax and sit forward on the couch with his elbows on his knees. The spectre groaned, fingers rubbing his eyes.

"Yes, EDI?"

"The Illusive Man is holding and wishes to speak to you in the briefing room. He has stated it is a matter of extreme urgency," the AI said.

"Thank you, I'll be there momentarily," he said, standing quickly and pulling out a fresh shirt as he glanced around his cabin. "EDI, where is Tali?"

"Engineer Zorah left the Normandy approximately one hour ago along with Kasumi Goto on personal business. I can page her comm if you would like?"

He shook his head. "Not yet, let me see what our shadowy benefactor wants first. Status on the rest of the crew?"

EDI paused for a brief second before providing the requested information.

"All other crew members are accounted for on board the Normandy. Thane Krios returned at approximately zero-two hundred hours. Operative Lawson confirmed that all required supplies for the planned ship upgrades have been purchased as of eleven hundred hours. They are currently occupying the main cargo hold."

"Excellent. I'd be a lost man without you, EDI," Shepard laughed.

"I am not strictly necessary for the Normandy to function, Commander," the AI replied.

"It was a joke, EDI. And 'strictly necessary' and 'actually necessary' are two very different things. Tell the Illusive Man I'm on my way."

"Understood, Commander. Logging you out."

Shepard rolled his neck, an audible crack echoing in the room as the stiffness worked itself out. The previous evening had been slow and pleasant, idle conversation interspersed with watching the newly acquired fish adapt to their new home. Tali had been especially fascinated, getting an education on pets in a short period of time between Urz and now vibrantly alive aquarium. Which also reminded him of the message that had been waiting on his terminal from Kelly.

Apparently Urz was smarter than he'd thought. While he had been on the Citadel it seemed either through happenstance or scheming the varren had discovered the ship's crawlspaces that allowed for passage around the Normandy in the event that the main elevator was damaged or otherwise unusable. Gardner had reported nearly having a heart attack when he discovered a large varren nosing through the shipment of foodstuffs that Shepard had ordered delivered earlier in the day. Most of it been saved, aside from a single package of Fishdog Foods Tastee Bites that Urz had managed to consume bag and all.

Kelly had thankfully managed to keep any major incident from occurring and had enticed the varren back down to the cargo bay, but there wasn't a great deal he could do to confine Urz to the lower deck at that moment. He made a mental note to speak with Donnelly about installing some locking hatches on the cargo bay crawlspace entrances. In the mean time he'd just have to make sure everyone kept an eye out for a wandering varren.

A quick trip in the elevator and through the CIC later Shepard found himself in the briefing room. The table had already retracted into the floor and the shimmer yellow-orange that was the perimeter of the holo-projector was shimmering. He stepped into the circle, heard the faint hum as the communications device scanned his image, and found himself in the same expansive, dark office that he'd always met the Illusive Man in.

"Ah, Shepard. I'm not used to waiting," the man said by way of greeting.

"Life is full of little surprise, I got here as quickly as I could. EDI said this was urgent?" Shepard said dryly.

"Very. Despite the fact that we haven't been in contact in the past weeks the rest of Cerberus has not been idle," the Illusive Man replied.

He reached out and tapped the embers of his cigarette into the ashtray on the arm of his chair, extending the other hand to causing a holographic image of a reddish-brown planet to spring to life behind him. It spun slowly, the one defining feature being a massive canyon that traced across part of the southern hemisphere like a badly healed scar. His memory flashed back to the old Normandy, the surface of a rocky moon looking up at the same planet while standing next to the Mako. Wrex making a comment about wide-eyed younglings while he and Tali marveled at the sight.

"Klendagon," he supplied when the name caught up in his memory to the visual.

The other man nodded. "Correct. Scientists concluded long ago that the Great Rift wasn't natural, but rather from a mass accelerator of staggering power that had only glanced the surface of the planet. Well, we took it a step farther, calculating the trajectory, possible mass, and a hundred other scientific variables that I'm sure would bore you."

"And? You're telling me you found the weapon?" Shepard asked.

"Yes, but that's not all. We also found its target. We may never know who the race was that constructed the weapon, whether it was a final act of defiance against the Reapers or a failed experiment, but it may still be the key to our salvation," he said

The Illusive man gestured towards the image that changed to show another planet, the broken yet still ominous form silhouetted against the gas giant's yellow haze was unmistakable: a Reaper. Even after all he'd been through the sight sent a chill down his spine.

"They hit it hard, it shows only localized power in various places on the vessel. For all intents and purposes it's dead, with just enough function left to maintain its orbit instead of falling into the failed star," the Illusive Man explained. "I sent a research team to see what could be learned from the remains. Part of the information they sent back was a confirmation that they had secured what they believed to be an advanced IFF transponder. That piece of technology is the key to passing through the Omega 4 Relay where we've confirmed the Collector vessel originated."

"The Omega Relay... it's a centuries old legend, ships go in looking for final frontier but never return."

The Illusive Man took a long drag on his cigarette, blowing out the smoke in a slow, deliberate breath before setting it down and leaning forward.

"Exactly. I'm transmitting all the information to EDI's systems as we speak. That's where they're coming from, and that's where you'll have to go to stop them. The IFF on board that derelict Reaper is the key to making it through."

"What makes you so certain?" Shepard asked.

"Facts, information, logic. We know that no one has ever returned, but people have been trying for centuries, longer even. At least one should have been able to send some kind of word back, yet we hear nothing. The only possible conclusion is that without some sort of advanced IFF the ships that have previously activated the gate were sent so wildly off course that they didn't survive the return journey or were destroyed by the Collectors."

Shepard crossed his arms over his chest but nodded. "Okay, makes sense. Which leads to the next question: if this thing is so important, where is it?"

"Now we arrive at the problem. The scientific team that was studying the Reaper hasn't responded to requests for an update in a week," the Illusive Man said, easing back in his chair. "I can only conclude they have suffered some sort of calamity. Clearly I don't have to explain to you how vital it is that we don't lose that IFF."

"Then I guess we'd better make best speed. The coordinates?"

"The derelict is orbiting Mnemosyne. I've already sent to exact coordinates to EDI and your pilot. Good luck, Shepard. This might be our single best chance to track the Collectors down to where they live and take the fight to them."

The connection terminated, Shepard stepping back as the table rose back into its original position. He placed his hands on the smooth surface, rolling the information the Illusive Man had provided in his head. Since waking up defeating the Collectors had been his goal, but it hadn't been one that was clearly defined. This Reaper IFF changed that, giving them the ability to strike back.

"EDI," Shepard said.

The shimmering blue orb that was the AI's holographic representation sprung to life. "Commander?"

"Send word to Tali and Kasumi to return to the Normandy, emergency priority. I want the Normandy leaving this dock in the next half hour and the entire team assembled in the briefing room within the hour."

EDI's hologram disappeared. Any upgrades they couldn't manage in transit could wait, if something had happened to the Cerberus' scientist team then their key to the Omega 4 relay was in danger. There was a goal now, a clear path to his enemy's heart. And he intended to ram the Normandy straight into it if that's what it took.

* * *

One hour later the team was assembled, as requested. Seeing them all in one place still surprised him. The original Normandy crew had been diverse with the inclusion of the four aliens on board, but this team of the galaxy's best put it to shame. An asari justicar sat across the table from a professional assassin, who in turn was sitting next to possibly the best thief in Citadel space. Throw in a genetically engineered krogan super-soldier and the half a dozen other professional mercenaries, operatives, and techs that made up his team and the combined combat experience was nothing short of astounding.

"Okay, you had my ass dragged up here, what's the deal?" Jack asked, interrupting his brief reverie.

"The deal?" he smirked.

He touched the display built into the briefing room table and the image that the Illusive Man had shown him earlier of the derelict Reaper hanging over the gas giant sprung to life. The faint widening of Garrus' eyes was the only betrayal of the turian's shock, while Tali didn't bother to contain her own.

"Keelah! Another Reaper?"

"A dead one, actually. This one was struck by a mass accelerator on a scale that we've never even conceived probably over a million years ago," Shepard explained. "Cerberus sent a science team to investigate, on board they found an advanced IFF transponder in the ship's systems. Along with the other data we've recovered it points us to the Omega 4 relay as the way to the Collector's base of operations."

"What's the catch?" Zaeed asked.

"The information the Illusive Man sent us shows that the science team stopped reporting approximately a week ago and haven't responded to any requests for contact since," Miranda supplied.

Shepard nodded. "Which means that something has happened, but we don't know what. That IFF could be the key to safe passage through the Omega 4 relay and the only chance we have of taking this fight to the enemy's doorstep. I don't think I need to explain how important this is."

"What about the planned upgrades? The ship is Joker's baby, but even I know that if we have to tangle with that advanced ship again we could do with a boost," Jacob interjected.

"They'll just have to wait. Chances are it will take time to find a way to use the IFF we retrieve," Shepard said, and then sighed before continuing. "The other issue is that the Council has refused my request to utilize their space docks to make the largest modifications, and obviously the Alliance isn't going to extend that kind of aid to a Cerberus vessel. So we get the IFF and look for alternative options after."

A number of displeased sounds erupted in the room, the loudest coming from Garrus and Jack, but Shepard held up a hand to forestall any further commentary.

"It doesn't matter, we adapt and we move on. For now this is our priority. Garrus and Tali, you're with me on the ground team. Samara, I'd like you with us as well. We don't know what we're going to find there so I want everyone fully equipped and ready for combat," he said. "I'm not making any assumptions yet, it could be as simple as a damaged transmitter... or as bad as a full blown attack by pirates or geth. We've got some transit time ahead of us but we're pushing the Normandy as fast as she'll go. You all know what you need to do. Dismissed."

The group dispersed until only Miranda, Tali, and Garrus remained. He arched an eyebrow at the trio, each looking at the other until Miranda finally spoke.

"Jacob was right. The new main guns are impressive but we'll be hard pressed to keep up with the capabilities of the collector's more advanced technology. I'm also going to assume that you've already considered that this is another trap?"

"Yea, that was pretty much my bit," Garrus said wryly.

"Indeed," Tali agreed. "A real Reaper? It could be a lot worse than pirates if that thing is just playing dead, Shepard."

He nodded, smiling at the similar veins of paranoia that had sprung up among his crew. It was a sort of bonding, he supposed.

"I'm aware, but if this is a trap then it's the most elaborate bait I've ever seen. Every reading we have says this thing is dead, it has localized power and redundancies to maintain its orbit, nothing else," Shepard said. "There's still the possibility, though, which is why I'm not taking any chances. You two have had my back since the beginning and Samara has literally centuries of combat experience."

"But what about the Council denying your request? We still need those upgrades," Tali said. "If my calculations are right I think I can give the shields enough of a boost to at least put up some kind of defense against Collector weaponry."

"The Council said that such use of Citadel resources would be too much of an overt show of support for a Spectre that was openly working for a 'terrorist organization'," he replied. "I'm working on alternatives now. The Illusive Man's credits and what we've obtained on our own aren't inconsiderable, with luck we can find a private yard that will do for the time we need to make the upgrades."

Garrus smirked. "So... we're winging it?"

"It's my specialty. You should be used to it by now," he replied with mocking salute towards the turian.

"Trust me, we are," Tali said fondly.

"I might have doubted you when this first began, Shepard, but you seem to make a habit of pulling off the impossible. I'll look into our options while we're in transit and see what we can get done without full dock facilities," Miranda said.

He gave her a nod of thanks before she left the room, quickly followed by Garrus muttering something about calibrations, leaving him with only his quarian chief engineer that was watching him pointedly with her arms across her chest. Tali finally circled around the table to stand next to him, her hand covering his where it rested on the table and giving it a squeeze.

"You know if I've learned anything it's that you're even more of a smart ass when you're worried," Tali said.

Glancing over at her, Shepard gave a wry smile. "Learning all my secrets, huh?"

"Not all of them... not yet at least," she replied. "But that one I figured out even on the original Normandy."

"I'm worried because you're all right, this could be a trap. That ship has floated out there for thousands of years, yet we're the first to find it? And then the science team goes silent?" the spectre said with a sigh. "I just have a bad feeling about this. We have to do it, but the feeling is still there."

"Aren't you the one that just said that we adapt?" Tali teased gently.

"Figuring out my tells, now using my own words against me? You're getting more dangerous by the day," he laughed. "But you're right. We go in, we get the job done, we get out."

The hand over his squeezed again, the smile apparent in her voice even if he couldn't see her face.

"That's my captain."

* * *

The Normandy bucked its way through hurricane force winds until shuddering a final time and going quiet as they passed into the Reaper's mass effect envelope. The fact that in the millennia that had passed since whatever race had struck their final blow against it only gave further evidence to the fact of just how powerful these machines were. Even after dying they refused to fully succumb.

"Commander... we aren't the only ship here," Joker said over the comm as his team waited by the airlock. The Cerberus team had reported thin but breathable atmosphere in most areas of the ship that they had explored but he wasn't taking any chances, everyone was in full combat armor with sealed suits.

"Copy that, there's got to be at least the Cerberus vessel the science team arrived on."

"Yea, I know expected that one. But there's a smaller ship that looks geth docked further down the hull... and I'm seeing at least a couple more ships docked at points along the hull," the pilot replied.

"EDI?" Shepard asked. "Any data on who these extra ships are?"

"Negative, Commander. No transponders are active on any of the vessels. Aside from the Cerberus vessel and the smaller geth craft the other ships docked with the Reaper seem to be completely offline. Most likely held in place by magnetic grapnels," the AI responded.

"Okay. Take us in to dock near the section that Cerberus set up as a lab. Everyone stay alert and ready for anything," Shepard ordered, snapping the folding stock that he'd had Jacob install on his SMG in place, nestling the butt into his shoulder.

The team all checked their weapons as well, waiting as the Normandy drifted into position and finally made a seal with the docking arm that had been installed along with the attached research lab. Waiting for the airlock to cycle seemed to last for an eternity but the outer door finally slid open. He motioned forward and they entered the room, weapons raised.

Only a pristine lab greeted them, devoid of any life or signs of struggle. The structure was made of off-white polymer that always made him think of hospitals, numerous terminals and pieces of likely expensive lab equipment sat untouched, beeping occasionally in standby mode. He motioned Tali towards one of the terminals when they'd confirmed the room was clear. A video log quickly appeared.

_"We have begun pressurization of the interior area for shirt sleeves work,"_ a man said. He was older, dark brown skin creased with the signs of age but with a determined set to his jaw as he continued. _"The crew is edgy. I assure them that it's only nerves, a reaction to what this place is: the corpse of a vast, ancient life form."_

_"Privately... I can understand their apprehension. The angles of the interior seem to surround you, pressing down on you. Something about the atmosphere makes me clench my teeth. Still, there's work to do."_

The recording faded.

"Anything else?" he asked.

Tali shook her head. "No, just lists of samples, tests, various data. I've uploaded it back to EDI but every log seems normal. No alarms or flagged reports at this terminal at least."

"There doesn't seem to be any indication of an attack," Samara stated. "We should continue on, maybe they were forced to leave this area of the ship for some reason."

"Agreed. Keep to a tight sweeping pattern, I don't want to let our guard down until we know exactly what went on here," he said.

Everything in the lab seemed to function perfectly. They entered the next two rooms to find them in much the same state, powered and lit, but with no sign of any of the people that have been living and working there for the past weeks. A few more terminals provided audio and visual logs of the research team's progress and comments from the various members.

Another of them showed a haggard looking man, younger than the first. He was speaking to the terminal but not really looking at it.

_"Another sample logged. Confirmed no active nano-activity present, this batch seems to be just as dead as the last, but I can't help but feel... unsettled every time I handle them. We had to sit down and have a chat with Torrez after the incident in the mess," _the scientist said.

He continued._ "Everyone is already a little spooked by this place, the last thing we need is something having a breakdown, talking about the whispers in the ship. We keep telling him it's just the pressurization systems venting atmosphere, but I think he's too far gone to listen. Fifteen milliliters of sedative should keep him calm for the next few days until we can radio for an extraction."_

Tali skimmed the terminal for a few moments after the recording ended, finally sigh and throwing up her hands.

"Nothing else on this one. The log is dated a few days before the last report was received by Cerberus and they stopped responding. I don't like this place, something just feels wrong."

Shepard didn't respond, just motioning them to continue to the next room. A few more computers revealed logs from various points during the set up of the lab and the beginning of their tests on the dead Reaper. Many of the scientists showed signs of fatigue, ruffled clothes and dark bags under their last log they found mentioned Dr. Chandana, the man from the first recording they had seen as being extremely focused on examining the samples he'd obtained, spending hours just watching them.

"Still no signs of combat, but it sounds like our scientists were going a little stir crazy," Shepard said when they reached the main airlock that led into the Reaper's interior. "Samara and I will take point, Garrus you and Tali have the rear. Maybe they detected the geth ship and hid somewhere in the interior."

Pressing the control button caused the airlock to hum quietly, the decontamination beam sweeping over them before the hiss of escaping air could be heard and the circular door opened. Shepard nodded to Samara and they proceeded, sighting down their weapons as they passed the threshold.

"My god..." he uttered.

The interior of the Reaper was massive, the roof reaching up to a hundred meters overhead until it was almost lost in the dim light of the construction lamps set up by the research team along the catwalks. Ahead and behind the passageway continued as far as he could see, the walls of almost organic looking metal and segmented cables flowed like the roots of a great tree... or the veins and arteries of a creature of flesh and blood.

Even with the considerable size he could understand what the scientist on the recording had meant, the walls seem to shift out of the corner of the eye and each step made it feel as if the corridor was narrowing despite the fact that it was still large enough to pilot a shuttle through. The faint sound of moving air gave the entire place an hollow, echoing sound.

"Thanks for bringing me along, Boss," Garrus said, fingers drumming on the stock of his rifle. "Creeping along in the dark, waiting for something synthetic to jump out and attack me. Just like old times."

Shepard shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Couldn't leave you out of the fun, Garrus. You know, rationally I know how large this thing is, but seeing it this way really drives the point home."

"Here. This looks like the main terminal for research outside the pre-fab laboratory," Samara said, gesturing to a computer set up at the first landing.

Moving past the justicar, Tali activated the terminal. "Let me see what I can find... more tests, a few video logs... wait, Torres. This is the one from the researcher that they sedated."

Torres was a middle aged man, one that was probably considered fairly attractive under normal circumstances. But the man whose image stared out at them from the video screen wasn't anything of the sort. The dark circles under his eyes were more pronounced, giving eyes a sunken appearance, while his hair and rough stubble was that of a man that had completely abandoned personal grooming. His eyes constantly flicked back and forth from the screen to his surroundings.

_"Chandana said the ship was dead. We trusted him. He was right. But even a dead god can dream. A god — a real god — is a verb. Not some old man with magic powers. It's a force. It warps reality just by being there. It doesn't have to want to. It doesn't have to think about it. It just does. That's what Chandana didn't get. Not until it was too late. The god's mind is gone but it still dreams. He knows now. He's tuned in on our dreams. If I close my eyes I can feel him. I can feel every one of us."_

Garrus' mandibles twitched as the recording faded. "Can I officially be weirded out yet?"

"I don't like where this is going," the spectre said. "Where-"

A sudden sound of something heavy hitting metal deck plating interrupted him and caused all of their weapons to snap in the direction from where it had come, farther down the catwalk and moving into the bowels of the derelict. Shepard motioned silently for them to advance, maintaining their original formation.

It wasn't long after they'd left the first landing that he noticed the light fog that seemed to cling to the lowest areas of the interior and sound of moving air. He told himself it was just the pressurization system at work, add moisture and pressure to an thousand year old ship and somethings were bound to start making noise.

The next landing was more poorly lit. One of the free standing lamps was sitting on its side, bulb shattered. He advanced and dropped behind cover, scanning the room but finding no further evidence of activity. It the geth had attacked there should be more signs of a struggle. When no targets presented themselves he sighed and spoke, breaking the silence that had been hanging over the room.

"Switch your lights on, if more of those portable lights are out as we go it's going to get dark in here and fast," he ordered.

Tali tapped a button on the side of her shotgun, springing forth a beam of light that caught the water vapor in the air and made the beam look like a solid thing. He noticed her finger rubbing the foregrip of the weapon rhythmically.

"Commander, I begin to suspect that more than pirates or geth are at work here," Samara interjected.

"Makes two of us. Any rescue mission is over, I've got the data that EDI supplied on the layout and location of the IFF transponder," Shepard said. "If we find anyone alive we'll try to help, but our objective is to get the transponder and get out."

As if punctuating his statement the entire ship around them shuddered, forcing Garrus to catch himself on one of the stacked supply crates and the rest of them to nearly lose their footing as well. Bracing one hand on another crate Shepard activated his comm unit.

"Joker, what the hell was that?"

"It just raised kinetic barriers! You're cut off from the airlock," the pilot responded immediately.

"What do you mean 'it' raised barriers?" he demanded.

"I mean it, as in it, the thing we're docked with. You're not on a wreck, Commander, you're on a damn ghost ship!" Joker said. "You've got to move. EDI detected small power spikes before the barriers went up and mobile energy signatures. You're not alone in there."

Shepard cursed. "Damn! How do we get out of here?"

"I detected a extremely large heat spike where I believe the Reaper's secondary mass effect core to be located, Commander," EDI supplied. "It is likely powering the kinetic barriers. I must advise, however, that this core is also maintaining the Reaper's mass effect field."

"Meaning if we destroy it, the field goes down and the gas giant claims the ship. Got it. Well, guess it's a good thing I've got the best damn pilot in the galaxy to pull our asses out in time," the spectre said. "Get ready, Joker. I'm sending you our likely evac point."

The pilot's voice was confident. "I'll be there, Commander."

"I know you will. Come on, we've got to me. Seems this dead god still has some tricks to play," Shepard said, pointing ahead of them towards the next landing. "We've got to blow the mass effect core and get out of here before this thing gets crushed by the gas giant."

Even in the strangest circumstances, his people were soldiers first, each nodding and following his lead as he moved at a brisk pace deeper into the Reaper. His heavy boots echoed loudly on the metal grating of the catwalk, the sound lingering in the air when he stopped at the next threshold and scanned the room. Only silence greeted him for a moment... then the sound of something scraping against metal, faint but definitely there.

"Go," he whispered. The four of them breached the room almost simultaneously. It was a more expansive cavern than the one they left, railing stopping any further advance a few hundred feet ahead. Indistinct forms of some sort of apparatus could be seen in the shadows and thickening fog.

A lone form stood facing away from them, fingers caressing the side of a metal object. The origin of the scratching sound. He was about to give an order to identify when his boot caught on something, making him look down. Tangled around his foot was a long white lab coat, torn and bloody. He kicked it away, the plastic name tag clattering on the floor and causing the lone figure to turn.

No human eyes looked back at him, only faintly glowing blue orbs. Grey skin etched with lines of the same glowing blue and fingers that ended in sharp talons. A guttural, raspy moan echoed in the cavern as the husk charged him.

"Shit!" he growled, snapping off a burst from his SMG that caught the thing full in the chest, immediately followed by a hail of fire from his three companions that nearly tore the unfortunate thing apart.

"A husk? We encountered them on the Collector vessel," Samara said, lowering her weapon to look at the bullet ridden form.

"Shepard look... dragon's teeth," Tali said, pointing ahead of them.

They moved closer, the indistinct forms becoming clearly visible. Long, metallic spikes rose from a central cylinder just on the other side of the railing, dozens of them pointing upwards. And there, impaled on some of the spikes, were the bodies of at least three members of the research team. All along the railing and terminals facing the pit of spikes there were strange symbols scratched into the metal and written in something dark that he soon realized was blood.

"It's like they were worshiping this place like an altar. Damn. I should have seen it. They weren't attacked, they were indoctrinated," Shepard said.

"Uh... Boss?" Garrus said.

"What?"

"Exactly how many people were part of the Cerberus research team?"

"From the data I received probably a dozen researchers, three times that many construction personnel. Why?" he said and shrugged, examining the terminal in front of him, but finding nothing of interest. It had been cracked in places and stained by bloody fingers.

"Because I think it's time to go. Now," the turian replied, stressing the last word.

A multitude of groans, all too familiar, began to come from below them like some agonized choir. Gnarled, clawed hands gripped the edges of the landing, slowly pulling themselves upwards. Shepard's eyes widened as he looked down, seeing dozens of faintly glowing forms crawling up the sides of the derelict ship like so many ants.

"Oh hell. Go!" he barked.

They ran for the door leading to the next section of the Reaper, slamming the door control repeatedly as it opened with laborious speed. A clawed hand reached over the side of the railing by his foot, quickly followed by a head. Tali's shotgun roared, the hand spasmed and let go, the now headless corpse tumbling into the abyss below.

Once the door opened they rushed through and closed them behind them. Shepard pointed at Tali and then towards the door controls. "Lock that!"

"They can probably navigate through the Reaper's superstructure itself," Samara pointed out, still unnervingly calm.

"Probably, but I see no reason to roll out the red carpet and make it easy for them," he replied.

Garrus moved towards the next stack of crates, bracing his rifle on them and scanning the room. The platform led into an area exposed to space, the yellowish haze of the gas giant casting pale illumination over the catwalks and stairs. Only the powerful mass effect field generated by the ancient Reaper corpse provided sanctuary from the hurricane force winds.

Moving across the open platform he hit the door control on what looked to be another room set up by the research team, probably for storage. Unlike the previous heavy airlock style door this one snapped open easily, and in doing so left him completely unprepared for the pair of husks that lurched from their confinement. They were on him before he could bring the submachine gun up, his burst of fire only shredding the leg of one of them. Their impact knocked him on his back, his assailants falling on him like ravenous beasts.

"Shepard!" he heard Garrus and Tali yell in the same moment that curled fingers swung towards his visor.

And then the husk spun around like it had been struck by an air car, the top of its head simply disappearing. The one that he'd wounded followed suit, dropping backwards with a massive hole in its chest. Shepard rolled onto his side and tracked the line of fire, bringing up his weapon but not dropping his finger over the trigger.

Standing a hundred meters away on one of the raised catwalks above them was nothing less than a geth trooper holding an enormous rifle that looked like it would rival his own Widow. The machine's head turned and he could notice small flaps moving faintly.

"Shepard-Commander," the geth said.

Before the rest of his team could react the machine ducked away behind a row of supply crates and was gone. He felt three fingered hands on his arms, helping him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Tali asked.

"I'm fine. A little... surprised, but fine. What the hell was that? Since when do geth talk?" he said incredulously.

"I have never heard of such a thing in my years as a justicar," Samara said. "But it is a mystery for another time, as it does not seem to be hostile. The husks following us, on the other hand, are. And their numbers are growing."

"Point taken," Shepard nodded, shaking himself and ejecting the thermal magazine from his weapon, replacing it with a fresh one. "Keep moving, we can't let them box us in."

Following the map provided by EDI they moved through the catwalks, all around them the moans of husks grew steadily louder. More clawed hands began grasping at railings and floor grates, dragging themselves up to their level. At first they just picked off ones that were trying to climb up ahead of them, but within minutes a few became many, and many became a horde.

"Shepard," Garrus growled, his assault rifle pumping a burst of fire into another husk and sending it falling backwards over the railing.

He squeezed off a long burst of his own, dropping one of the husks that had made it over the railing. Two more seemed prepared to take its place, however, and he expended the rest of the magazine cutting them down.

"I know," he snapped. "Core room is fifty meters ahead, push through!"

They made it the rest of the way at a full run, firing as they went. One more door slammed shut behind them, leaving them in a room lit by the faint bluish glow of the mass effect core. Standing before the massive orb was the geth they had seen earlier, fingers moving with blinding speed over the terminal's keys. Two husks lurched towards it, but with efficiency only capable of a machine it drew a pistol and fired two rounds took each in the forehead.

It was too slow to catch the third, however, that had crawled onto the catwalk a few feet away. This one was odd, the gray skin shot through with violent lines of red distinct from the usual icy blue. The geth brought its weapon to bear and fired when the husk lunged, but when the round tore through the abomination's chest there was a resounding explosion that sent the geth tumbling to the base of the stairs leading to the terminal, its optics dark.

"Shepard there are too damn many of these things," Garrus said. "And now apparently they explode. Where are they coming from?"

"I've got a theory, but you're not going to like it."

The turian rolled his eyes. "Because everything is just orangey now."

"It's peachy, but nice try," Shepard replied, crouching down the examine the fallen geth before stepping over it to access the terminal it was using. "Those other ships EDI detected? I'm guessing if we examined them they'd be old, real old. Cerberus weren't the first ones to find the Reaper. They're just the first ones that report back on it. Who knows how many ships have come here and never left."

"What are you doing, Commander?" Samara asked, eying the door suspiciously.

"Apparently the geth was trying to initiate a feedback loop in the core. It had the same idea we did, blow the core and get out," he explained.

"Why the hell would it do that? It's a geth, they were working with Sovereign!" Tali objected.

He shook his head. "I don't know, but it's a good idea."

"I hope it's a fast idea, we've got company," Garrus said.

The husks had found their way around the locked door once again, glowing eyes peering out from the darkness of the tubes and crevices that seem to permeate the Reaper's hull. He felt Tali's hip bump him and shove him aside, then press her shotgun into his hands.

"Move, _bosh'tet_! I'll overload the core, just keep the damn husks away for me," Tali ordered.

"Yes, ma'am," he replied with a faint smile and glanced over to Garrus. "Winner buys the other a bottle of choice?"

The turian's mandibles curled upwards. "You're on, Shepard."

Samara dropped into a crouch, sighting down her rifle as the first of the husks cleared the railing. The justicar shook her head.

"Your fearlessness in such situations continues to astound me, Commander."

"Humans have a saying Samara 'There's a fine line between bravery and stupidity'. I'm firmly of the opinion that it's less of a line and more a circle. One I've been around a few too many times," he replied. "Now watch your ammo and your fields of fire, Garrus left, Samara, middle, I've got right. Nothing gets through."

More husks and struggled to their feet and were beginning to move towards the position, even as their fellows poured from every dark hole they could find. The dim room suddenly flared to life as they opened fire, accelerator rounds and muzzle flashes painting the smoothly curving walls in flashing of violent light.

Shepard gripped Tali's shotgun tightly, advancing down the rightmost set of stairs and dropping into a crouch before emptying the weapon into the wave of oncoming husks. There were no enemy snipers, no grenades or covering fire. Just a seemingly endless swarm of hungry eyed monstrosities. He slapped a fresh magazine into the shotgun and felt it buck in his hands, the deadly weapon cutting through first few ranks of husks like a scythe through ripe grain.

"Watch out for the red ones!" Garrus barked, his statement immediately followed by another loud boom.

He saw a pair of the reddish glowing husks pull themselves onto the platform. Lowering the shotgun in one hand Shepard drew his heavy pistol with his left, firing two quick rounds into one of them. A violent explosion that sent a few of the other husks flying rewarded his efforts. A few more rounds from the pistol and he began to backpedal, reloading both weapons.

"Tali?" he asked.

"Almost, Shepard!" she replied hurriedly.

A husk grabbed into the railing to his right, one hand swiping at his legs. He dropped the shotgun and flicked it to single shot mode before firing off a shot directly in the creature's face. Six more shots rang out from his pistol, thinning them marginally. Garrus and Samara were running into the same problem, the barrels of their assault rifles beginning to glow faintly at the tip from the constant firing.

Shepard shoved the empty pistol back into its holster and gripped the shotgun in both hands, firing methodically as he continued to backpedal. Fallen husks littered the platform, laying on the grating, half-draped over the railing where they had tried to climb over. Taking another step back he felt himself bump into the curved armor of Garrus' back, while Samara knelt just in front of them, still firing.

"Tali!" he hissed again.

"Dammit I'm trying! Work you _gen'ro'sa_!" the quarian snapped, slamming her fist on the console.

The world seemed to lurch in response and the mass effect core flared brightly. Sparks crackled across its surface and then a massive arc of energy erupted from its surface, utterly disintegrating a dozen husks that were only a few feet in front of him. He suddenly felt his feet rising from the surface of the platform.

"The field is down! Magnetize your boots!" he ordered.

While his team quickly adapted, the husks weren't so lucky. The sudden loss of gravity left them flailing helplessly in the air and one strong biotic shove from Samara sent many of them flying out of their path. Shepard turned to Tali and handed the shotgun back to her before pointing down at the fallen geth.

"Garrus! Grab the other arm!"

The turian looked at him quizzically but did as he was told, hauling the machine up. Tali was shaking her head.

"You cannot be serious! You want to bring it with us?" she asked.

"It helped us. And what it did to the core before we got here is probably the only reason you were able to fix it in time. That means it's different somehow. I want to know why."

"But it's a geth, Shepard!"

"It's not open for discussion!" he said and grabbed the other arm. "Now let's go before Joker leaves us behind!"

Tali muted any further protest with a nod, reloading her shotgun and following behind them as they bolted for the exit point. Any time a flailing husk got too close she or Samara would send the synthetic monster flying away with a blast from their weapons. Turning a corner he saw the Normandy pull alongside the derelict, the main airlock door opened wide. Nodding at Garrus they both got a running start and hurled the inactive geth towards the airlock, with Shepard letting go at the last instant. The turian caught the edge of the Normandy's hull and pulling the geth and himself into the airlock.

"Go!" he yelled at the other two. Underfoot the platform began to warp as the gravity of the gas giant began to act on the falling corpse of the once powerful Reaper. Husks used their strong claws to hang onto the metal grating, scuttling towards them with new found confidence. Samara immediately complied, leaping towards the Normandy while Tali stood next to him, her shotgun tearing into one of the husks that was reaching for them both.

"We have to go, Shepard!" Joker yelled.

Shepard took a few steps back and then ran as fast he could in the awkward gravity, grabbing a surprised quarian by the waist and shoving himself off the platform, spinning as they sailed across the void and drawing his SMG. He jerked the trigger and held on tightly, the automatic weapon letting out a torrent of fire at the husks and propelling the two of them straight into the airlock.

The door slammed shut a split-second later and he felt the Normandy struggle upwards. He gave a long sigh and rested his head against the cool bulkhead. Garrus just smirked at him, sitting atop the fallen geth.

"Just have to show me up, don't you? Grab the girl, spinning, fire assisted weightless jump across a bottomless chasm? You saw that in a vid, didn't you," the turian accused.

He felt Tali squirm against him at the mention of the word 'girl' but he left his arm around her waist as the adrenaline in his blood slowly faded. Garrus was going to be an ass either way, no point in giving him a reason to be suspicious.

"Maybe. You're saying you wouldn't have done it if you'd had the chance?" Shepard shot back.

Garrus laughed.

"Point taken."


	28. Chapter 27

"It's a geth!"

Shepard threw his hands up in exasperation. "It's a talking geth that saved my life, I think that makes it a special circumstance!"

It was three hours after they had escaped from the derelict Reaper and the Normandy was burning for the system's mass relay. Miranda and Kelly had opened the airlock door to find the team leaning against the walls in mirth. Even Samara had let a rare, melodious laugh escape her lips, half from he and Garrus' usual banter and half from faint delirium of relief that always set in right after an extremely trying experience as the adrenaline faded. After that he had simply felt drained, something clearly shared by the other three.

A pair of the Normandy's crewmen had hauled the inactive geth to the AI core at Shepard's orders, securing the construct and remaining to stand guard. EDI erected an additional kinetic field and immediately locked down all wireless connections to the Normandy's systems.

It didn't take long afterward for the argument to start. He'd expected Tali to be against reactivating the geth, but in a strange moment of solidarity Miranda had agreed with her. His XO suggested that it would be better to sell the machine off to Cerberus and collect the considerable bounty. Jacob and Mordin had both thought questioning the geth was a good idea. Garrus for his part had simply shook his head and left By the time the brief meeting concluded he could tell Tali still wasn't happy. It had been an under estimation.

The quarian paced rapidly in his quarters now, hands balled into tight fists. He hadn't seen her this worked up since the tragedy on the Flotilla, a bundle of emotions and agitation. He noticed that her accent seemed to become more pronounced when she spoke quickly, maybe it was the translator struggling to keep up.

"Geth aren't simple tools, they plan and think. You know how dangerous they are more than anyone!" she said.

"That's exactly why I need to talk to it," Shepard said. "When we first encountered the geth you said the foot soldier models and the larger anti-vehicle types were the only ones the quarians were familiar with. Then we encountered the Leapers. It shows that they can evolve, change. This is something entirely new again."

"You didn't try to keep a Leaper to study, Shepard. We blew them to pieces," Tali accused.

He sighed. "Look, if it's a threat I'll be the first one to put a few more rounds in itand toss it out the airlock. But there is an opportunity here I can't overlook. If it can communicate with us, then we can learn about it. Find out why it helped us. Maybe even learn about what the Reaper's plans for the geth were!"

"Then what? We keep it in the hold with Urz like some sort of... of pet? They're emotionless butchers."

"I don't know. I won't until I reactivate it. EDI assures me that it will be locked out of any of our systems and I think I can take one damaged geth soldier in a fight. I would think you would want to learn more about the geth, Tali. Why wouldn't we want to know about this thing?" Shepard asked.

"Why? Because it's on this ship and it's the reason I'm stuck in this suit! It's the reason my people are trapped in aging starships instead of living on our own homeworld!" Tali yelled.

"I doubt this particular geth is to blame for what happened to your people, Tali. Knowing what you've had to live with all your life, it makes me angry whenever I think about it," Shepard said, trying to keep his voice level and soothing as he continued. "But I'm also an outside observer. I know history says your people tried to wipe the geth out when you realized that they were obtaining sapience. For them it would have been about survival."

Tali stiffened as if he'd actually struck her physically. "Survival? What about our survival? We were driven from every world we ever set foot on, now we just dread the day when something breaks on our ship that can't be fixed!"

He tried to back pedal, realizing this wasn't just about one geth he'd brought on board. This wasn't even about the risk one geth posed to the Normandy. It was about the one thing in the galaxy that he realized Tali truly hated.

"That's not what I meant, Tali... I'm not saying that the geth are blameless-"

"They're damn well not! They took everything from us, Shepard," she cut him off angrily.

"And your ancestors tried to take everything from them!" Shepard shot back, regretting the outburst immediately as he tried to reply more calmly.

"Tali, I would give anything to keep your father's promise to build you house on your own homeworld. But it's not one I can make. War would be the end of your people, one day they'll have to accept that, look elsewhere for a home."

"Where? The Council even threatened to bomb us off the surface of a world they decided was better suited to the elcor," she said, gesturing around her, the contempt in her voice evident. "They would kill us because it was inconvenient. And even if we find another world there's little chance that our immune systems could ever adapt to it now."

He frowned, stepping closer and resting a hand on her shoulder. "It doesn't mean you shouldn't try. Hope, Tali. If history has taught me anything it's that people need hope. A reason to keep going."

"Hope? We were one of the oldest civilizations in Council space, now we're considered nothing better than thieves and vagrants. I left for my Pilgrimage thinking I would bring back something great. Instead I brought back a disk of information that probably got my father killed..." the young quarian said, trailing off for a moment.

"And what did I get? A memory of watching you die. Grief. Two years trying to forget, to help the Fleet, and then I'm put on trial for treason while my father dies alone on the Alarei at the hands of the geth. And then we set foot on that Reaper. Dead for millions of years and it was still killing people."

She shook her head, shoulders low and the tension finally fleeing her body in a single long shudder..

"The Reapers are coming to destroy the future, but we don't even have a past. We fled our worlds with warships, medical supplies, anything we'd need to survive. The only quarian artwork, history, literature that still exists as anything other than a data file or a memoy? It's in the hands of private collectors and off-world museums. My people made one horrible mistake and we've paid for it every day for three hundred years. We have no future, Shepard."

Before he could formulate a response Tali had ducked from beneath his hand and into the elevator, pressing the button for engineering. The door slid shut with the usual faint hiss. Tali's final words echoed in his head, giving that familiar sound a far more ominous tone.

Shepard sat down and put his head in his hands with a heavy sigh. He could go after her, but what could he say? He had asked if she was okay, told her to take time to deal with her father's death. Each time she had told him that it was fine, that she had accepted what had happened. But while he'd expected some anger at the geth, the sudden tone of despair had caught him completely by surprise. He forced himself to his feet, pacing much the same path that Tali had a few minutes prior.

"How do I miss something so obvious? And keep blundering head long into it," he said, gazing into the fish tank.

The ugly little fish at the bottom stared back at him mutely. If it had answers they weren't forth coming.

* * *

Kasumi shut the book she'd been reading and rolled off of her stomach and into a sitting position when she heard the quiet footsteps outside the door to her room. She caressed the spine of the book lovingly before leaning back and sliding it onto the shelf next to the others just as the door opened.

"I thought it was you. I heard the mission was rough, but glad to see everyone back in one piece," Kasumi said.

Tali collapsed onto the couch next to her, immediately seeming to curl into herself and sigh heavily. Since coming on board she and Tali had become good friends, being closest in age of any of the crew and sharing a love of all things computer related. From what the thief could tell she was also her only real female friend, the quarian was friendly with everyone aboard but only seemed close to Garrus and Shepard, and now herself.

"I think I screwed up," the quarian murmured.

Kasumi frowned and scooted over next to her. "What's wrong?"

"Shepard... he brought that damn geth on board. And then we started arguing about it. And... he just doesn't understand," Tali explained haltingly, voice thick.

"Back up, geth?"

"We found a geth on the derelict Reaper it... shot a pair of husks that were about to attack Shepard," she said.

"And he brought it back to the Normandy?" Kasumi asked.

"Because it talked," Tali replied sarcastically. "So now he wants to activate the damn thing!"

Kasumi blinked. "How does that mean you screwed up?"

"Because first he argued with Miranda about keep it and then we ended up in his cabin arguing about it. And I just got so mad... the geth ruined the lives of everyone one of our people and he... he defended them!"

The engineer slammed a fist into side of the couch, the soft leather giving way and leaving a faint indention in the cushion.

"But he just doesn't understand. Nobody cares about the Flotilla... they don't see the ships that are falling apart. That we live in fear constantly. He's human, how could he?"

Shaking her head, the thief slipped an arm around Tali's shoulders and gave her a comforting squeeze.

"You know I'm still not seeing where you screwed up," she offered.

Tali turned her head, silver eyes watching her mournfully. "I fell in love with a human, how is Shepard ever going to understand? We hold onto tiny pieces of our culture because it's all we have left. He thinks turning on the geth is no big deal because he's curious!"

"Tali, the guy is pretty good at giving speeches and saying the right thing most the time, but he's not perfect," Kasumi said. "And hasn't he pretty much helped every quarian he's come across since he met you?"

"Well... yes," Tali agreed with a sigh. "It just feels like a bad joke. We keep fighting but nothing ever gets better. And then he tries to... to justify the war."

"It sounds like he's trying the only way he knows. And have you ever stopped to look at it from our view? I'm human too you know."

Tali gave a small huff. "I know what species you are, Kasumi. What do you mean?"

She smiled and shifted, leaning back against the arm of the couch to face Tali. "I'm sure you've noticed that humans can look fairly different, right?"

"Very. Quarians have different skin tones and features too, but nothing as varied as I've seen among humans," she said.

"Well, my people descended from a country called Japan. Like many cultures on Earth our society evolved with little influence from outsiders... but as the world grew smaller thanks to technology people began to encounter each other more," Kasumi explained, bringing up a small hologram of Earth on her omni-tool and pointing out the island of Japan.

She continued, looking pensive. "Two hundred years ago a war that engulfed the entire world erupted, Japan was allied with two other major powers during the war that lasted for almost a decade. Millions died."

"Keelah," the quarian muttered. Kasumi indicated the United States on the small globe, the country dwarfing the island of Japan.

"Japan's greatest enemy in the conflict was winning the war, but at considerable loss of life. And Japan's people were fiercely patriotic, they would fight any invaders to the death. So to end the war Japan's enemy invented the first atomic fission weapons... and then used them on two cities in my homeland, wiping them out in an instant and leaving the survivors with horrible afflictions. The leader of Japan surrendered shortly after."

"That's terrible. Clans fought wars on Rannoch, but... never on that scale. When we discovered the damage mass accelerators could inflict on a large scale they were banned from being used against any population centers," Tali said. "How could they do that to your people?"

She shook her head sadly.

"Because my people started the war, Tali. We invaded the countries around us, while our allies did the same a world away. Atrocities were committed, our allies rounded up people in camps and tried to exterminate them because they were 'different'. We started the war that killed all those millions, not the people that defeated us. Sounds different when you hear it from another view, doesn't it?"

"But it's not the same-" Tali began, only to be cut off by the thief.

Kasumi shook her head. "The only side of the story we've ever heard is what the Council gives, the geth obtained sentience, the quarians tried to destroy them. Your people lost the war and fled. No matter what happens, Shepard is never going to have the same feelings towards the geth that you do, he doesn't have centuries of history with them."

"I know," the quarian sighed finally. "He's helped almost every quarian we've come across, and... helped me. But I don't think he'll ever really understand what my life is like, what our people's life is like."

Tali stood, walking towards the door, smoothing out the rich purple veil that wrapped around her slim form. Kasumi clucked her tongue, making the quarian turn back and look.

"Maybe not, but he might surprise you, Tali. Isn't it worth giving him that chance? You're mad now but you might not feel quite the same in a day or two," the thief said.

"I guess there isn't much else I can do. Thank you, Kasumi."

Tali left, her shoulders a little higher than when she'd arrived and her voice just that much steadier. With a smile Kasumi reached up and took her book back down and sprawled out on the couch. The girl had spent so much time trying to save her people that she'd never taken a moment to have a life of her own, much less a fight with a boyfriend or lover.

She would be fine, Kasumi thought. While the outburst seemed sudden it wasn't as if her relationship with Shepard was going to be effortless. It was better she learned early, rather than find out later. A smile crossed the thief's face. Besides, she had used the world love and Shepard in the same sentence without even noticing, much less dissolving into a nervous stammer.

* * *

The dataslate landed on the table in front of him with a loud clap, causing Shepard's head to snap up.

"As I was saying," Miranda commented dryly. "If we can't access the Citadel docks we don't have many options. The station where the Normandy was built was never meant to be a repair yard, it would take too much time to get the necessary supplies. And Illium's costs are extreme to say the least."

He sighed and rubbed at his eyes, last night hadn't been a restful one. Half the night Shepard's mind had refused to calm enough to allow sleep, and after that he'd been awoken repeatedly by unpleasant dreams. It didn't exactly leave him refreshed for the this meeting with his 'senior staff': Garrus, Miranda, Mordin, and Jacob. Tali was conspicuously absent.

"Okay," he said finally. "Why can't the Illusive Man finance this? I thought that's why I was working with Cerberus in the first place."

"The Normandy was built over many months, parts at a time. Cerberus' resources are considerable but paying for a dock on Illium outright? That much cash flow would stress even our resources and also dangerously expose large portions of the operation to move that amount of credits," his XO explained.

"What part of 'trying to stop the Collectors' wasn't clear?" Garrus asked. "I would think that's worth a little exposure."

Miranda shrugged. "I might agree, but the Illusive Man doesn't. He's always played the long game. If he says we don't have the resources to pull it off, there must be a good way we need a destination and a plan."

"Omega," Shepard said.

"Omega? Why would we go there?" Jacob asked.

Mordin stopped fiddling with his omni-tool and smiled, nodding at Shepard. "Thinking outside standard parameters. Very smart. Omega largest shadowport in known space. Would have access to shipyard facilities."

"Pirates need ship facilities too. I would bet Aria has access to more than a few," he said, confirming Mordin's theory.

"Maybe. But what's it going to cost us?" Miranda asked.

Shepard shrugged and stood, heading towards the door. "I guess we'll find out when when get there. In the mean time I'm going to go see what I can find out from the geth."

The XO sighed. "I'll have Joker lay in a course. And I don't need to tell you again what I think we should do with the geth."

"You're right, I don't," he said, exiting the room and making his way to the elevator.

Part of him wondered if he shouldn't just destroy the thing and be done with it. In the end, though, he couldn't let his emotions override what he knew was the best course of action. Tali's words, her anger, were sharp and unpleasant reminders in his head of the consequences of command, of what it cost to do what was necessary instead of what was pleasant.

The door to the AI core opened, the two crewmen standing guard giving him quick salutes. Shepard drew the pistol he'd tucked into his belt before leaving his cabin and set in on the nearby shelf, motioning for the two guards to depart.

"I'll take it from here. Go get some rest, gentlemen," he ordered.

After a moment of hesitation they nodded and left the AI core. He approached the inactive geth, looking at it from just outside the security field, arms clasped behind him. Since Eden Prime he'd always seen the geth over gun sights and the only sound they'd ever emitted was a strange chirping noise. Shepard sighed and took a step back, glancing towards the pistol where it rested on the shelf beside the massive server banks that housed EDI's consciousness.

"EDI, I'm going to reactive the geth. Keep an eye out for any intrusion," he ordered.

"The geth will not gain entry to my systems, Commander. I am not a simple computer interface," the AI responded. She almost sounded offended, making a smile briefly cross his face.

Activating his omni-tool he ran the activation protocols that seemed likely to be the correct functions to restart the machine's systems. If he had to guess the geth had experienced a power overload due to the explosion of the husk near it and shut itself down to prevent further damage. The small technician bench channeled a surge of electrical power through its surface and into the inactive machine.

For a moment there was nothing. Then a faint twitch of movement, the cyclopean optical unit flickering to life and emitting a whirring sound. He was surprised to notice how much those small actions mimicked a human awaking from unconsciousness. Finally numerous small lights sprung to life across the machine's chassis and it moved quickly into a sitting position, then standing. The blue glow from its 'eye' fixed on him and a number of flaps around it seemed to flutter.

"Shepard-Commander," it said simply.

He watched the geth. "You understand me. You know me, you said my name on the Reaper."

"We know of you."

"You mean I've killed a lot of geth," Shepard replied dryly.

"This is correct. But we have never met," the machine said.

"I thought geth could share data or something?"

"Correct. We are all geth. But we have never met you. You are Shepard. Commander. Human. Alliance. Fought heretics. Killed by Collectors. Rediscovered on the Old Machine."

He nodded. "Congratulations, you've read the biography. Missed a few parts, but I'll forgive you. Geth seemed well informed for a race that never ventures beyond the Veil."

The geth gave what seemed to be the equivalent of a human nod. "We access extranet data sources, unsecured transmissions. All data sent is recorded, logged, analyzed. We watch you."

"So you watch organics, or me? Because that's a little creepy," he said.

"Yes."

After a moment of silence he realized the machine wasn't going to elaborate and sighed, changing topics. "You said 'Old Machine', you meant the Reaper? And what is this about heretics?"

"Affirmative. Reaper is a superstitious title given through translation of Prothean naming convention. Connotation of final death. We refer to those entities as Old Machines," the geth explained. "Geth seek to build their own future, but the heretics asked the Old Machine to give them the future. On reviewing human language, culture, 'heretic' was the word chosen to be represent this schism. They are no longer part of us."

"Okay, we're just going to assume I believe you and keep going. What were you doing on the Reaper?" he asked.

"We were studying the Old Machine's hardware to protect ourselves."

"Why would the Reapers be a threat to you, you're both machines," Shepard pointed out.

The flaps around the geth's optic fluttered once more. "We are outside their plan. Dangerous. We seek to build our own future."

"And what future is that? Is it going to effect organics?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

"If they involve themselves, it will," it replied matter-of-factly. "We do not seek conflict."

"So you aren't allied with the Reapers. You are actively working against them?"

The geth stepped forward, to the edge of the kinetic barrier, and spoke. He was interested to note that it did seem to possess inflection and tone, even if it was barely noticeable. Once more the flaps moved, this time the top two raising as it continued its speech.

"We oppose the heretics. We oppose the Old Machines. Shepard-Commander opposes the heretics. Shepard-Commander opposes the Old Machines. Cooperation furthers mutual goals."

He blinked once. "Are you asking the join us?"

"Yes."

Shepard paused, watching the geth carefully. He had come down expecting to gain some information or maybe even some kind of new threat. A talking geth that told him the entire attack on Eden Prime and the Citadel was by a rogue group of its own people and that the geth as a whole were opposed to the Reapers was definitely not on his list of contingencies.

"How do I know you're not lying to me?" he said finally.

"What purpose would deception serve?" it countered.

"Infiltrating an advanced human ship, gain intelligence for an attack, cause havoc or sow chaos?"

"If the geth wished to attack outside the Veil current calculations show that military build up would be insufficient to impede progress for at least fifty two point eight light years without any additional data. Estimated seventy three point six percent chance of success of attack against any one race's homeworld," the geth said. "Single geth platform would not increase chance of success infiltrating any human or Alliance vessel."

His eyes widened faintly at the explanation. They certainly weren't under confident. "Fine, ignoring the implied threat against my homeworld, what about relations with the galaxy at large? My crew includes a quarian, my chief engineer."

"Geth have determined that despite attack on Citadel, majority of galaxy is unaware of specific information regarding geth armature design and structure and thereby assumed geth presence to be form of limited VI automation if no hostile actions are taken," the machine said.

"And my quarian crew member? I won't tolerate violence my ship, and especially not against my friends."

"The geth do not wish any harm to the Creators, as a race or individually."

It only took a few more moments of consideration and a pained thought of how Tali was going to react to this new development for him to decide. Even if the geth was overstating the military capabilities of its race, the fact was the geth as a whole could make a powerful ally in the future. Now he had a chance to begin the process of forming just such an alliance. He touched his omni-pad once and the field dropped.

The geth didn't immediately spring forward to attack, even as his free hand twitched to reach for the nearby pistol. Finally he addressed the machine.

"So what do I call you?"

"Geth," it replied.

"Yes, I know what you are, I mean what do I call you," he said.

The unit's head cocked slightly and the panels raised once more. "We are all geth."

Shepard bit his tongue, realizing sarcasm would likely be wasted on the machine. "What is the individual standing in front of me at this moment designated?"

"There is no individual. We are all geth," it said. "There are currently one thousand one hundred and eighty three programs operating within this platform."

EDI's holographic interface suddenly sprang to life. "My name is Legion, for we are many."

The geth's optic turned towards the hologram and then back to him. "Christian Bible. Gospel of Mark, chapter five, verse nine. We acknowledge the legitimacy of this comparison. We are Legion, a terminal of geth. We will integrate into Normandy."

"Don't integrate too fast, we need to work on trust first, but if we're willing to stand with us against the Reapers... then welcome to the crew," Shepard replied and extended his hand.

Legion, as he was now called, looked down at the offered appendage quizzically. His optic hummed and the flaps and shutters around his 'eye' moved, making Shepard realize it was the machine's approximation of facial expressions. Finally it extended its own hand and grasped his, shaking it slowly.

"We anticipate the exchange of data. We will earn the trust of Shepard-Commander."

"Good," he said, releasing the geth's hand, though not before realizing how similar it was to Tali's more delicate one. "I'm going to ask you to say here in the AI core for now, I need to prepare my crew for the fact that we are going to be working with a geth. Also do you need... ah, repairs?"

The geth looked down, following Shepard's gaze to the large hole that passed straight through the right side of its torso.

"Negative. This unit is fully functional. Explosion aboard Old Machine activated automatic safety shut downs and minimal power. All systems currently operating within tolerances."

"Very well. We'll be arriving at Omega within the next few hours. I think I'll test out just how well you fit in there instead of the Citadel for the first run," Shepard told it.

"This unit will be prepared."

Shepard walked out the AI core without replying, noting that Chakwas was watching him with raised eyebrows. He merely gave a shrug. It wasn't Legion he was worried about being prepared. The rest of the crew on the other hand...

* * *

Garrus sighed heavily. "This is a new level of stupid, Boss."

"This unit does not understand the purpose of the organic fabric covering," Legion said, standing in the Normandy's airlock draped with a long brown robe that Kasumi had been in possession of for some reason. His single glowing optic beneath the hood betrayed his mechanical nature.

"Okay, ignoring that. It's a geth. So, two issues. One. It's. A. Geth. Two... actually two is the same as one, it just involves people shooting us," the turian hissed, pointing at Legion.

"We've been over this. There are bad geth and good geth. This is a good geth and it wants to help us. And you said you have been on worlds and stations with organics before, correct, Legion?" he asked.

"Affirmative. General public of Council space is extremely ignorant as to actual data on geth appearance and actions."

Garrus rolled his eyes but finally nodded. "Alright. Fine. But if this all goes horribly wrong... I told you so. I'm saying it now because if it all does go horribly wrong I'll probably be too dead to say it later."

"Your faith is inspiring, now come on," he drolled.

The airlock opened and the trio stepped into the grimy corridors of Omega. He had hesitated to bring Garrus after the man's history with the place but the only one that would know half as much about it was Mordin. As they walked he kept glancing at people passing by, not as the geth had said, no one seemed to take notice of its admittedly cloaked presence.

Garrus looked over and tilted his head towards the geth. "So, what does Tali have to say about this?"

He sighed heavily. "I... don't think she wants to talk to me right now. We argued about my decision to turn it on. I didn't anticipate just how deep her feelings ran."

"They ruined the lives of her entire people, what were you expecting, Shepard?"

"I really don't know. I tried to be calm and logical but that went out the window fast and I don't think she quite finished dealing with the loss of her father. This didn't exactly help and I blundered into it like an idiot," he said.

"Oh, I'm noticing a theme," Garrus said and then held up his hands in mock fear at the icy glare that Shepard directed at him. "Look, we've both stuck with you. I'm sure she will too, just might take a little while for her to get over it. I mean I know I'd be pissed. At least if I get homesick I could go visit Palaven. You might have kept her from getting exiled from the Fleet but it's still not the same as a homeworld."

"She made me acutely aware of that fact," he replied. "When the argument was over she just sounded... apathetic. Like she didn't care anymore"

They continued walking, occasionally Legion would drop back to observe something but always caught up quickly before Shepard could comment on his absence. When they stopped just outside Afterlife to observe the comings and goings to ensure that none of Garrus' old enemies were in attendance the turian spoke, catching him completely by surprise.

"I'm not expecting to survive this mission any more than you are, Shepard."

He looked at the turian, his first reaction being to deny the statement completely. But he didn't, instead glancing back to see Legion watching various members of the crowd before turning back to Garrus where they were leaned against the railing looking out over Omega.

"A little defeatist, don't you think?" he asked.

The turian shook his head. "We've got one frigate, a bunch of guns, and more quads than a krogan battle group. But we're planning to jump head first into the Collector homeworld. We're going to lose people."

"I'm not going to throw anyone's life away needlessly, Garrus. Suicide mission or no."

"I know that. But in the back of their mind everyone that's signed on for this knows that it's probably a one way trip... either because they're looking for redemption or doing their duty, but the feeling is there," his friend explained.

"The massive amount of credits probably didn't hurt some of our recruits either," he said.

Garrus shrugged. "Maybe, but Zaeed said it himself. Can't spend money if you're dead. Even that old soldier is looking to go out doing something that means something even if he'd never admit it. Thane's dying after a career of assassination, Samara won't ever abandon her oath or her duty, Mordin has spent a lifetime doing other people's dirty work for them."

"And what about you?" Shepard asked.

"A little of both, I guess. I was there when this started, I intend to see it to the end," Garrus replied wryly. "I could ask you the same. You're the one the collectors killed once already. All it did was piss you off, but still."

"I've survived too much in my life already. Even being spaced and here I am, just a few bad nightmares and extensive cybernetics to show for it," Shepard said quietly. "If it takes dying again to stop this cycle then so be it. Until then I won't stop, not for the Collectors, not for anything. Then when it comes I'll know it's time to finally let go."

The turian slapped him on the shoulder. "Well, I might be defeatist but I see no reason to make it easy for them. Why don't we go see if Aria is willing to give us a dry dock out of the kindness of her heart so we can give that ugly damn Collector ship a good kicking next time we run into it?"

He nodded. "Coast is clear? As frustrated as I am I wouldn't mind taking apart some idiot mercs, but this isn't the time."

"Haven't seen anyone I recognized," Garrus confirmed. "Might have something to do with killing most of them last time we were here."

"Maybe. Come on, Legion. Let's go talk to the queen of Omega," he said, gesturing for the two of them to follow.

The bouncers at the door only stopped them for a moment, their armor and heavy weapons making it clear that they were going to enter either way. One of the batarians apparently recognized his armor from the last visit and motioned him in. The club was filled with the roar of people and the deep, bone thumping bass lines of the music while awash as always with reddish light. Approaching Aria's private suite the turian at the base of the stairs blocked the way.

"Do you have an appointment with Aria?" he asked.

"No. I'm here on business, trust me, she'll see me," Shepard replied.

"Look buddy, I get that a thousand times a night-"

"I'm Commander Shepard. If you don't know who that is then I'll move you and add you to the list of people that got in my damn way and regretted it. I don't have time for games," he growled.

The turian frowned, glancing at the heavy pistol on his hip and rifle occupying his back. Finally the guard grumbled and motioned them towards the stairs.

"Fine, I'll take the chance Aria will kick my ass over the certainty of getting shot."

"Ah, my faith in the galaxy is restored. People can learn," Garrus quipped and followed after him.

Legion didn't even pay attention to the guard, simply continuing its quiet observation of the surroundings. One flight of stairs and an angry glace from a pair of more heavily armed bodyguards fond them standing at the entrance to Aria's suite overlooking Omega's dance floor. The asari turned, arching one pale blue brow.

"Shepard. You do certainly drop in and skip the formalities," she said.

"I find myself lacking the time for them. And I figure a real business woman won't care about them that much easier," Shepard replied.

"Hmm, point," Aria agreed and took a seat on the plush leather couch, gesturing for them to sit as well. "So what brings you to Omega this time?"

"Business. I'm looking for a shipyard."

"A shipyard? Interesting. Any particular one or..." the asari trailed off.

"One large enough to fit a heavy frigate into for retrofitting and upgrades. We both know I'm associated with Cerberus, that makes the Council take a hands off approach. But it doesn't mean I don't need access to facilities. I thought who better to go to than the queen of Omega," he explained.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Shepard," she smirked. "But exactly how do you plan for me making available a shipyard to you? Out of my good graces and for spirits know how long?"

"Suggested upgrades and retrofits would require estimated five days, fifteen hours to labor assuming current available crew and two ten hour work shifts for the duration of the work," Legion supplied.

Aria's head turned at the synthetic voice and her eyes narrowed, looking at the geth. Her voice was amused when she spoke.

"What have you acquired now? Your ability to attract the oddest sorts continues to impress, Shepard. Not to mention your audacity of walking Archangel back through Afterlife's front doors. Don't look so surprised, Vakarian. I keep tabs on everything on Omega. That includes you."

"Nothing of importance, Aria. What is important is that I'm not expecting anything for free. I have credits and I'm sure we can work out a deal," Shepard interjected.

"If you were swimming in credits you wouldn't be here. You'd be on Illium or Bekenstein. I can only assume that means the more traditional avenues are closed to you," she said. "And dry docks aren't cheap."

He frowned. "Look, whether or not you believe the official line on the Battle of the Citadel or the lost human colonies I'm trying to stop something that is a threat to everyone. That includes Omega. But if we can't deal then tell me now and I'll find another option."

"I didn't say we couldn't make a deal," Aria said with a faint laugh. "And I haven't forgotten what you did last time you were on Omega. Taking care of the plague, not to mention cutting the legs out from under the three biggest mercenary groups on the station made my life considerably easier. So let's talk."

"I'm listening," Shepard said.

The asari smiled, a small, predatory expression. "I have credits. What I lack is competent help."

One of the bodyguards shuffled uncomfortably, studiously not looking at his employer. For her part Aria simply rolled her eyes and continued.

"Since you took apart the mercenary organizations others have tried to move in. Eclipse used to run the red sand trade on Omega and while they didn't flood the market and paid my our agreed upon percentage I didn't interfere with their operations. Unfortunately in the void left by their destruction a new player stepped in."

"What's the difference? One red sand dealer is the same as another," Garrus commented.

"Hardly," Aria replied. "This new organization is primarily human, a new would be cartel looking to make a name for themselves and backed by some very wealthy financers. I wouldn't mind expect for a few minors quibbles... such as the fact they have refused to pay me my cut and they've been getting greedy, cutting their product with various 'short cut' chemicals, trying to enhance its addictive qualities. I don't care if the whole station gets high, but what I don't need are swarms of addicts causing havoc because they can't get their fix."

"So where do we come in?" the spectre asked. "Just drop the hammer on them and see if the next group is a little more reasonable."

"I would love to, but with substantial backing comes equally heavy firepower. They're at least as well equipped as Eclipse was at their peak and since they're not mercenaries it has been considerably more difficult to try to turn someone inside the organization," Aria sighed. "I tried to have one of my... associates deal with their leadership but the idiot only managed to kill a bodyguard and a body-double before they took him apart."

"Body double?"

"Yes. It seems the man that is in charge of their operation tends to travel with a small caravan of extremely well armed guards in heavy aircars whenever making inspections. To cause additional confusion he has a body double in every aircar and among the cargo cars they use to bring it fresh batches of workers. When they exit they're all protected, meaning even if you shoot one chances are it was just some idiot paid to pretend. I have my suspicions that they might all be doubles, honestly, and he travels in disguise among the convoy," the asari said. "I'd admire the paranoia if it wasn't so frustrating."

Shepard leaned back into the couch and glanced over at Garrus. He had a feeling he knew where this was going, and Aria's next words only confirmed his suspicions, that same predatory smile on her face.

"I've read a great deal on you, Commander. You were one of the best snipers in N7. Took down more than a few 'high value' targets. You've only gotten better equipped and more capable as time as went on. I can provide you with all the intel you need and a fully equipped dry dock for one week at no charge."

"What, exactly, am I doing to earn this?" he asked carefully.

"Simple. I'll give you the time and the place. Then the head of this little organization crushed, utterly," she said.

"That sounds rather simple. I wouldn't think killing one man would earn your good graces."

"Ah, Shepard. One man. His convoy and guard detail generally consists of at least five aircars. I don't want to take any chances. I'm not asking you to kill one man," she laughed, loud and throatily.

"I'm telling you to kill every living person in that convoy."

Two hours later found Shepard sitting in his cabin, staring at the terminal before him. As promised the intel was there. Aria had already identified the optimal spot for the ambush to take place, just outside one of the distribution houses that the 'boss' was scheduled to visit. The convoy had to enter a long tunnel and land inside, which would prevent the aircars from simply scattering at the first sign of trouble. He could already pick out vantage points that would give a man with a rifle the best view of the area from an elevator position. It was a killing box. The only cover available to anyone below would be the aircars themselves.

After all the battles they'd fought it surprised him the thought of gunning down a convoy of red sand dealers bothered him. Maybe it was the method, a shoot gallery that would quickly turn into a charnel house. Or maybe it was the cold, calculating reason behind it. Or the fact that part of the convoy was likely to consist of desperate peons who simply took the only job they could find. Shepard glanced at the time readout in the lower corner of the terminal and sighed. It would be after midnight in a few hours, the dead of night in Omega. The convoy was scheduled to arrive within half an hour of midnight for the monthly visit. He leaned forward and rested his head in his hands for a moment, fingers still covered in the gauntlets of his armor that he'd never removed.

With a heavy sigh he stood, grasping the Widow rifle that was sitting on the desk and replacing at this back, the weight of it like a stone dragging on him. He tapped the control by the door and deactivated the lights, leaving the room in darkness save for the pale blue glow of the aquarium.

"When it's time I'll know."


	29. Chapter 28

The worst part of any covert operation was always the waiting. In training they'd been taught to stay in the same position for days at a time with minimal movement to prevent discovery. By comparison a timetable measured in hours was brief, but still seemed to drag on forever. The faint dripping of water pattering onto metal from a broken condenser was the only interruption to the low hum of Omega's background noise. It was all he could do to stay alert and ignore the headache that had been building behind his eyes for the past few hours.

Next to him on the gantry was Legion, the geth construct was crouched behind one of the large support beams in contrast to his own prone position. The geth's rifle was actually very similar to his own, heavy and enormously powerful it was a weapon that normally wouldn't be practical in a battlefield situation. Shepard's cybernetically enhanced strength off-set that particular downside, while the geth's mechanical nature did the same. It had explained that the average geth armature wasn't a great deal stronger than an equally sized organic, but it could exert its full strength at all times without having to consider fatigue or strain.

His turian companion had taken up position on his left. Garrus leaned back against the opposite support beam, the lighter Viper sniper rifle across his lap. The smaller weapon had a considerably higher capacity and was quicker to draw a bead, meaning it would fall to Garrus to take down anyone trying to escape. Shepard swallowed, frowning at the sour taste in his mouth and silently damning the self-righteous Council for pushing them down their current path.

"Time check," Garrus' voice whispered. "If Aria's intel is correct we've got fifteen minutes before the convoy arrives."

"Copy. Point of no return, are you sure about this, Garrus?" he asked.

"I'm sure. You need another sniper to cover this side and I'm better than Zaeed," he replied.

"That's not what I meant. This isn't a band of mercs or a high value target."

The turian's sigh carried, voice quietly determined. "Look, Shepard. We both know that we need what Aria is offering. You didn't ask me to come, I volunteered. I said I'd stick with you until the end. I meant it."

"Thanks," Shepard said. "Noticed you didn't mention Thane. Think you're better than him too?"

"Probably. Don't tell him that, wouldn't want to wound his professional pride. But I do my shooting under fire more often than he probably has," Garrus said, glancing at him with one plated brow arched. "I notice you didn't invite him either."

"Didn't feel right. He got his son back, but when we talk... he doesn't have long left and he knows it. How do I go to a man that's trying to make up for a life of killing and ask him to participate in a slaughter for a crime lord?" the spectre asked.

"Yea, kind of figured as much," Garrus agreed.

"Shepard-Commander," Legion interrupted. "We have detected six transport units moving in tandem approximately one kilometer from our position. High probability that these are target units."

He blinked at the geth. "How the hell did you see that?"

"This platform is equipped with advanced optics and tracking hardware, capable of up to sixteen times magnification while maintaining acceptable target tracking ability," it explained simply.

"Good to know. Take position, then."

Garrus simply nodded, bracing his opposite shoulder against the beam and the rifle against the other. His fingers quickly checked the magazine, scope, and safety before finally flicking it 'off' with a single digit. To his right Legion remained in much the same position, and after the short explanation a moment ago he realized the geth's rifle lacked a scope. Apparently when your 'eye' was one, a second on the gun was rather redundant.

"Looks like they're early. Point of no return reached," the turian said.

Shepard nodded. "Apparently. Legion and I will take the rear drivers first to block them in."

"Then the messy part begins," Garrus sighed. "It's going to be a bloody night, Shepard."

"I know."

He settled down into his own position and rested his cheek against the stock of the rifle. Shepard hoped it was worth it.

* * *

Aboard the Normandy the ship was quiet, even more so than normal. When docked with a large station like Omega it required less systems to remain online than when they were cruising a normal speeds. Combined with the fact that it was now well into the third watch and the place seemed virtually empty.

Tali sat in the mess, spinning the nearly empty tube of nutrient paste around, watching as it slowed before repeating the process. Sergeant Gardner had taken his leave some time ago, meaning anyone wanted from the mess had to make due on their own. Third shift wasn't typically a busy time, though, which caused Tali to jump when Samara's voice broke the silence.

"It seems I am not alone with troubled thoughts this night," the asari said. "I was not expecting to find others about that were not on duty."

Tali nodded. "Whenever humans on the ship can't sleep I always found them here, I guess it just seemed appropriate."

"I see. While my view of the void is quite breathtaking from the observation room Shepard has allowed me to occupy, I found myself restless," Samara said.

"You? You seem like the most calm person on this ship," she said in surprise.

The justicar slipped soundlessly into the seat across from the young quarian, a faint smile at the corner of her lips.

"I have had centuries to learn to control my thoughts and emotions. It does not mean I don't feel them, however. As a justicar I simply cannot allow them to influence my decisions," Samara explained.

"That makes sense," the quarian agreed. "I always forget how long asari and krogan live. Wrex at least looked like he was old with all his scars and marks. You're still beautiful."

"Thank you, child," Samara said with a laugh. "It is not often one such as myself hears a compliment. Far more typical are curses. Why are you not asleep, though? I know quarians naturally have less regular sleep cycles than humans, but I would expect you to be trying to rest."

Tali looked up in surprise, the tube she had been spinning slowly stopping now that her attention had been diverted elsewhere.

"I just... couldn't rest. I'm surprised you know that, no one else does on the Normandy, even Chakwas. We've adapted to the times kept by the rest of the galaxy."

"Did we forget so quickly? I was alive when your homeworld was still a center of culture and civilization. Unlike most of those on the Normandy I also know what quarians look like beneath the suits you've been forced to endure. It is a great tragedy, your people always possessed such a lithe grace and beauty."

She felt her face heat beneath the visor. "Of course, I'm just distracted. You've probably seen the uncovered faces of more of my people than I have."

Try as she might, the bitterness still crept into her voice. Her hands fidgeted atop of the smooth metal of the mess table, finally grasping the food tube and lightly tapping at the plastic. Samara watched her for a few long moments.

"Which is why you are here now and not asleep," the justicar stated simply. "I would assume that the geth that Commander Shepard brought aboard is to blame."

Tali sighed and leaned forward, hands resting on the side of her visor. "Yes. It is a geth. Since I was born I've heard about everything we lost at their hands. Then all the geth we fought while stopping Saren and my... my father."

"It is understandable. We cannot erase centuries of fear and anger with a few words," Samara said.

"I know, but... after he brought the geth on board Shepard and I got into a huge argument about it and I lost control. I don't even know how even, but I was angry, depressed, all in a rush. Now he's come and gone from Omega, then I see him leaving again in the dead of night without a word," she said dejectedly. "Kasumi helped me understand what humans think of our war a little better... and she was right, I'm not nearly as angry at him as I was. But what if he decides that he doesn't want me anymore after that outburst? I-I mean, on the team. He could send me back to the Flotilla."

Samara's laugh was light and melodic as before, causing the quarian to stare at her in shock, blinking away the tears that had been beginning to form at the edges of her eyes. Of all the people aboard the Normandy she had not expected the justicar to laugh at her.

"I am sorry, Tali," Samara said quickly, noticing her shock. "I am not laughing at you, it is just been so long since I have seen the problems of the young and vibrant that the situation surprised me. Even on a warship it seems the natural order of things will always continue. I am guessing your experiences with love have been limited."

"L-Love? I mean... what," the young engineer stammered.

"I have lived and loved in my life. It has been both my greatest joy and my greatest sorrow," Samara explained, her expression quickly becoming more somber. "I suspected your interest in the Commander not long after I joined the crew of this ship. Observing the both of you since then only confirmed those suspicions."

Tali found herself glancing around nervously even though she knew the mess was deserted, her hands slipping beneath the table to grasp together tightly. "I... I do care for him. But after what I said earlier..."

"Humans are a very recent development in my lifetime, but as a justicar I have experienced them at their worst. Ruthless, greedy, sadistic... my path always brings me to the darkest places any race can offer," Samara said, holding up a hand to forestall the young quarian's objection.

"Being on this vessel has given me the opportunity to see what they have the potential to be, however, and I believe Shepard is among the true paragons of their race. A man like that I do not believe would scorn you over an emotional argument. In fact I rather suspect you would have a difficult time finding a way to get rid of him if you tried. He is nothing if not determined once his mind is made up."

"He is that," she replied. A brief smile crossed her face before fading once more. "I didn't realize I was that... obvious, though. And I still don't know. I want... I know what I want. But when two quarians are together it is difficult enough, with both knowing what they're getting into. Despite what he's learned there are still things Shepard doesn't know about our history, our culture. I don't know if it's something he can ever understand."

Samara leaned back against the bulkhead, shaking her head. "Maybe you should give him the chance to try before you convince yourself otherwise. And your feelings are not completely obvious but to those that know what to look for, well..."

The justicar shrugged and Tali gave a nervous laugh, finally nodding. "Thank you, Samara. I think Kasumi tried to tell me much the same thing, it's just been... hard. It felt like everything came crashing down at once. Every time I try to think of something, some other doubt or fear screams in the back of my mind. Even now I keep seeing the geth in my head and that same anger returning."

"Hmm... when you tried to sleep do you experience nightmares, feel on edge?" Samara asked.

"Yes. I dozed off for a little while but I almost cracked my head on the pod when I woke. As soon as I did it was gone, but I just had a lingering feeling of uneasiness. So now I'm here," she said with a sigh. "What about you? I just realized you're up late too. I guess I'm being self absorbed."

"My thoughts were troubled as well, I couldn't find the serenity necessary to properly meditate. There is an... issue, one of great importance and of a personal nature that I need to discuss with the Commander, but even then I should be able to maintain my peace of mind," the asari said, looking thoughtful. "I am beginning it is more than a restless body and uneasy mind, however."

"What do you mean?" Tali asked.

It was odd, she had to admit. Samara had always seemed completely unflappable, even in the heat of combat her features remained unstrained, her voice level and calm. While her manner might often had seemed cold, Tali could always tell that there was a depth in her eyes that was more than simply duty and her Code.

Samara laced her fingers together, elbows resting on the table top. "Have you seen Garrus since we returned from the last mission?"

"I haven't talked to him, much. After we had the meeting about the geth he didn't exactly stay to chat. And after the argument with Shepard I just sort of buried my head in engineering. I did see him down in the cargo bay, though. I think he was sparring with some of the rest of the crew. I'm pretty sure I at least saw Jack and Grunt."

"Typical response. Turians will bear any burden stoically, in my experience, but they also will not hesitate if there is an outlet available for frustration. How did Shepard seem after the mission?" she asked.

"Fine. I mean, he's always fine. Almost always, I mean," Tali corrected herself quickly, remembering Illium, the spectre slurring his words and the usual guise of determination and good humor gone as he leaned heavily against her.

She leaned forward, watching the justicar carefully. "What are you suggesting?"

"A simple observation. Even as one of the younger members of Shepard's team you have seen and done more than most sentients have ever dreamed or feared, and you blame your reaction to the geth for your unease. But I believe we might still be suffering the after effects of our time aboard the Reaper," Samara said.

Tali felt as if ice had just been poured into her suit, chilling every inch of her skin and seeping into her bones. "You mean that we're experience Indoctrination? We were barely on that thing for an hour!"

"Very true, but we saw how quickly it warped and twisted the minds of the Cerberus science team, how it had lured probably dozens of ships over the centuries to its dying form," the asari explained. "I do not think we are in any danger of falling under the Reaper's sway, child. But I think our minds and bodies may have been more fatigued by the experience than we realized."

"It explains a great deal... I mean, I can't just accept a geth but I was so angry at Shepard for even trying to talk about it. I should have more self-control than that," she agreed after a moment of consideration.

"Do not blame yourself either way, but it does explain a great deal."

"Oh keelah, what about Shepard?" Tali muttered.

Samara's expression betrayed little concern. "He is a strong-willed man. It's even possible he's felt the effects less severely thanks to his experiences with the Prothean beacons during your earlier travels."

The quarian shook her head. "I don't know. When I said almost always fine, we always knew there was more than he let on. And there have been a few occasions when he... lost control. You saw what happened on Tuchanka."

"You are afraid that he will do something he regrets?" Samara asked.

"Possibly. If something sets him off. He's different since Cerberus brought him back, even if he tries to pretend nothing has changed. And I did a little digging when I came on board. Miranda noted in some of the logs she sent to the Illusive Man that he was occasionally having trouble controlling his temper. I can see it in his eyes sometimes," she said, drumming her fingers on the table anxiously before looking over to the small computer terminal near the medbay entrance.

"EDI, where is Shepard?"

The AI's interface immediately sprang to life. "The Commander did not specify his current mission or destination. I can only confirm that he is on Omega, somewhere in the vicinity of level sixty eight to seventy three. Interference prevents a more detailed location reading."

"He didn't say anything when he came back on board? Garrus went with him," Tali questioned the AI.

"Garrus did not specify any mission details either and the commander did not request his presence. He joined Shepard in the airlock, 'tagging along' I believe is the common phrase," EDI answered.

"That's not what I asked, EDI," she accused. "You're telling me he didn't mention anything while on the ship regarding his current mission?"

There was a brief pause. "Commander Shepard did not leave any instructions to inform the crew of the nature of the mission or its parameters."

"I doubt he left anything specifically making them a secret either. I'll go wake Miranda up if I have to, EDI. What do you know?" Tali demanded.

"We are merely concerned for Shepard's well-being, EDI. It would be best if we could locate him quickly should a crisis arise," Samara said, supporting the quarian.

Tali wasn't sure if the AI's emotional response programming was detailed enough to express resignation or exasperation but she was almost certain that she heard something approximating a sigh when the hologram pulsed once more and EDI spoke.

"The Commander received an encrypted data packet from a shell-account that I traced back to Aria T'lok. In addition he did speak to Legion who also accompanied him when he left the Normandy. Reviewing the data provided it appears to be a travel route and personnel information for an organization that I have not yet identified."

She blinked. "Legion?"

"Legion is the name given to the geth terminal that was recovered from the derelict Reaper upon its reactivation," EDI explained.

"He took the geth with him?"

"Correct. I believe he felt that the geth's synthetic nature would be an asset for the mission," the AI said.

At this Samara leaned forward, head tilted slightly as she spoke. "How would this 'Legion's nature as a geth be of benefit on Omega."

"I do not know, justicar. Before departing on the mission the Commander had a short discussion with Legion regarding the nature of geth sapience and whether they experienced guilt over organics that they or the heretics have killed. The geth indicated that they do not possess this trait to their knowledge, rather that they understand that negative consequences of such actions, and the Commander appeared to consider this the desired answer before requesting Legion's assistance."

"I don't like the sound of this," Tali said, frowning.

"While I have confidence in Shepard's judgment, I find myself thinking the same thing," the asari agreed.

"Then I guess there's only one thing to do. I'll meet you at the airlock, I need to grab my gear," she said, standing and quickly heading towards the elevator.

She didn't know what Shepard was doing for Aria, but if he hadn't even asked Garrus to come then it wasn't something pleasant. Normally she might have waited but if he had been feeling the effects of their time on the Reaper as she had then there was always the chance something could break through his well-honed control. Tali wouldn't let an argument and a dead monstrosities influence push him into something he'd regret, even if it meant having to deal with a damned geth.

* * *

"Wait for them to stop fully. As soon as I take my shot, Legion, you take the driver in the rear," Shepard ordered, finger resting lightly on the trigger of his rifle.

"Affirmative, Shepard-Commander."

The first aircar pulled almost to the end of the access tunnel before settling to the ground, the rest of the vehicles in the convoy following, three more luxury aircars and a pair of larger cargo cars in the middle of the pack. Around him the world still seemed to be waiting, the low hum of the aircar's engines almost soothing. He dropped the crosshairs over the driver of the lead car and took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as his finger tightened on the trigger.

Silence ended with the report of Shepard's heavy rifle, the almost immediate second shot from the geth's gun making it sound like thunder rolling through Omega's dank corridors. Through the scope he saw the windscreen of the aircar crack like a spiderweb and a splash of crimson obscure any further view.

He had to admire the reaction time of the guards. Most criminals, even well-paid ones, were bullies that panicked at the first sign of resistance. These apparently were professionals. Doors sprung open immediately and guns appeared from beneath coats and from inside the cars as men took cover behind their vehicles, scanning above them for their attackers. There was considerable distance between dangerous amateur and true professional. But there was even more between a professional and the kind of people that made up Shepard's team.

No words were said. Legion didn't seem to be the talkative type, but he and Garrus' usual banter was also absent as they went about their work. The slightly less emphatic crack of the turian's rifle produced a steady beat next to him, sending one of the guards that tried to run for the door of the warehouse spinning to the ground. A few more shots and the criminals had finally identified the direction of fire, spraying fire towards them from pistols and submachine guns that occasionally sparked around them.

One man reached into the rear of the aircar and produced an proper battle rifle while two of his fellows tried to provide covering fire. The precision and greater range of a weapon like that could actually pose a threat to their position. Then the man's feet left the ground and the rifle fell from his hands when a powerful round ripped through his barriers like they didn't exist.

"Threat eliminated," Legion stated.

Another of their targets in what was likely an expensive business suit attempted to ram the first disabled aircar out of his way to escape. A foolish mistake, considering what had happened to the first driver, and he made out no better. The aircar turned swiftly to the right and slammed into the metal and concrete wall when Shepard's next shot ripped through the armored windshield.

The flurry of weapons fire barely lasted more than a few minutes, the last burst of return fire silenced when Garrus' shot took the man in the head as he attempted to flee, firing wildly behind him. Spent, smoldering heat sinks littered the metal gantry around them and most of the cars below smoked and sparked from numerous holes. Each car had been armored and their targets had been wearing kinetic barriers, but no real armor. Enough to stop a pistol or maybe even a glancing round from an assault rifle, while their own heavy rifles had barely noticed their existence.

Shepard stood and flicked the safety on his rifle, looking at his two companions and then gesturing towards the scene below. "Let's go finish the job."

He drew his pistol and gripped the metal ladder leading to the level below, sliding down to the base while Garrus covered him from above before following suit. Legion apparently didn't seen any reason to wait, leaping down the the good twenty feet from their elevated position and landing in a crouch. They crossed the distance to the warehouse landing area slowly.

The scene only looked worse up close, the dirty gray metal that made up the floor was slick with blood and the smell of it filled the air. Their targets were slumped where they'd fallen over car doors or laid out on the ground staring lifelessly ahead. One gave a weak groan and clutched at a chest wound that was seeping blood from between his clenched fingers.

One shot rang out from his pistol and the man's hand fell away. Aria had been very specific in her instructions and the condition of their deal. No survivors to come back and cause trouble, spread rumors, or report back to the rest of their organization. She wanted the message to be clear: fuck with Aria T'Lok and you'd simply just cease to exist one day.

"Shepard-Commander, confirm execution of disabled organics. Our data suggested this was not accepted practice among human military operations," Legion said.

It said something about what you were doing when the supposedly remorseless synthetic killer was effectively asking if you were doing the 'right thing'. He looked to the geth and shook his head sadly.

"That's just what we say. What we do is rarely so honorable."

The geth's optics whirred faintly, watching him, before it mimed a nod. "Understood. We will terminate any surviving hostiles."

They checked the luxury aircars, a few more shots ringing out, but all in all they had been ruthlessly efficient in their slaughter. Garrus had entered the warehouse to confirm there wasn't anyone inside, returning a few minutes later.

"Only equipment, Shepard. Looks like this was their last stop, probably setting up a new distribution center," the turian said, jerking a thumb over his shoulder towards the warehouse.

"You'd think I'd feel better about killing red sand dealers," he snorted.

Garrus shrugged. "Hard to feel proud about a slaughter. They never stood a chance."

"Shepard-Commander. We have detected movement within one of the cargo vehicles," the geth said, grabbing his attention. It gestured towards the last of the aircars with its large box-like rear compartment.

He circled around to the rear of the car and raised his weapon, motioning Legion towards the door while Garrus took up a position just to his left. The geth looked at him and he nodded in confirmation, his finger resting on the trigger of the pistol.

* * *

"The Commander is still not responding to attempts to contact him via his omni-tool or the internal communication system in his armor," EDI informed them.

"Understood, find out anything you can about his whereabouts," Tali said.

She and Samara were standing at one of Omega's major intersections that lead towards the market district, the lower residences, or Afterlife depending on the path taken. Grunt stood just behind, glaring ominously at anyone that approached. When she'd returned to the lower deck to retrieve her gear the krogan had apparently noticed and decided that his presence was also required.

"We should simply look for the largest conflict. Shepard will be involved, I'm certain," Grunt said.

"There are a dozen conflicts going on here at any given moment," Samara replied. "If you are in search of a fight I doubt you will have to look far, but I do not believe it will help us find Shepard. You will likely be bored, Grunt."

"Hrmph, maybe. But my battlemaster had already left. Other members of my krantt were leaving armed. It would not have been fitting for me to remain behind," the krogan explained.

"Wait! I hacked Garrus' omni-tool a long time ago... I bet he never fixed the backdoor I installed," Tali said suddenly.

Samara arched a brow. "Why would you hack his omni-tool?"

"I don't remember, I was probably just doing it to mess with him," she replied with a shrug.

It was probably when she was trying to feed him false information about some human custom Shepard had brought up, after all they had had so much fun teasing her on the original Normandy. She chewed her lower lip absent mindedly while she worked. Finally her omni-tool beeped in success and Garrus' surprised voice came on the line.

"Tali? What the hell?"

"Where are you?" she demanded.

"We had a job to do, and I'm pretty sure I disabled my incoming contacts," the turian growled.

"You did, I just un-disabled them. Now where are you, we need to find Shepard."

There was a brief pause on the other end of the line and Tali frowned. What were they doing? Finally Garrus answered.

"Shepard made a deal with Aria to secure us a dry dock and things went a little sideways. I think he's on his way to confront Aria. Look I know you're not real happy with him at the moment with the whole geth thing, but now is not a good time, Tali."

She sighed in exasperation. "That's what this is about. I was talking to Samara and we think that we've all been on edge because the dead Reaper was trying to indoctrinate us."

"Well, that would explain why I spent an hour obliterating that one training dummy in the hold," Garrus responded dryly.

"Exactly, which is why we need to talk to Shepard. If something happens to set him off he might not be quite as in control as usual," Tali said and then spoke more quietly. "You know, like the Tartarus incident."

"Well... crap. You need to get to Afterlife. Now," the turian said.

Tartarus had been a small colonial base occupied by pirates that had turned it into their own private little house of horrors, with the colonist as the stars. When Garrus and Tali had accompanied him they had seen a true range of depravity and the boasting and threats of the pirates' 'captain' had been the final straw. It had been the only time they'd really seen the Commander snap during the entire hunt for Saren and it had resulted in a whirlwind of violence. Mentioning it was the best way she'd had to tell Garrus just how concerned she was about the possibility.

They were already moving when Tali continued her questioning. "What happened?"

"Look I don't have time to go over it even if I wanted to. Aria hired us for a job, we did it. Now I'm flying back to the Normandy with a cargo transport full of very frightened humans and Shepard is on his way to Afterlife," Garrus explained wearily.

"You let him go alone?" she hissed.

"Of course not! Legion is with him," the turian snapped back. "If you're close maybe you can beat him there."

Tali terminated the call and increased her pace, Samara and Grunt falling in behind her. The asari gave her a questioning look.

"Are we to assume there will be trouble?"

"I don't know. Garrus was evasive about what exactly happened but it sounds like it wasn't good," Tali said. "If Shepard confronts Aria I think it could get pretty bad."

"Now that would be a fight," Grunt rumbled.

She fixed the krogan with a glare. "One I'd prefer to avoid."

Afterlife loomed above them, the beating heart of Omega. There was even still a short line of people trying to get in despite the late hour, long past the club's peak time. The elcor bouncer watched them brush past but didn't protest. She remembered Shepard saying something about 'look like you belong somewhere and no one will question you'. Apparently it hadn't been bad advice.

Inside the music still played, though the crowd was thinner and quieter than she'd heard previously. Tali raised herself up on the tips of her toes, scanning the room while her two companions did the same. Maybe they had actually beaten Shepard to the club.

The sound of shattering glass yanked all of their attention towards the raised offices that overlooked the dance floor. A batarian landed with a heavy thump that elicited a squeal of surprise from one of the dancing girls. The man tried to weakly push himself up before giving up and slumping forward unconsciousness. She and Samara exchanged a brief look before drawing their weapons and heading for the stairs.

Tali stopped when they reached the top, crouching low against the wall at the sound of raised voices ahead. Grunt looked ready to charge forward but Samara held up a hand to halt him. She carefully looked around the corner. Shepard was standing across from Aria with his pistol at his side, parallel with his leg, four of her guards stood at the entrance to the room with weapons raised.

"We had a deal, Shepard. You knew what you were getting into," the asari said.

"Bullshit! You sent me to take out a drug operation. It was a damn slaughter, but I could have lived with that," he shot back, jabbing a finger at Aria, other arm still held rigidly at his side. "But you didn't bother to mention that they were using slave labor!"

Aria waved a hand dismissively, tone casual. "So what? You act like it's a new concept. You think it gives you the right to throw my men out of windows and threaten me?"

She noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and saw that the geth... Legion, it had apparently been named, was standing just behind Shepard with its heavy rifle in hand. The quarian bit her lip and forced away the sudden urge to bring up her shotgun to target the machine, instead forcing her attention back to the confrontation between the human and the asari. No matter what her feelings towards the geth were she couldn't let them endanger Shepard.

"They were god-damned kids! The oldest one was barely fourteen!" Shepard snarled. "Your man was lucky I only threw him out the window instead of burning this place to the ground!"

"Careful, Shepard. I don't take kindly to threats and I'm not some wide-eyed maiden you can scare," Aria responded, her fingertips flaring faintly blue with biotic energy. All of the ease had left her voice, showing the steel in the velvet glove. "I have the experience and manpower to make sure you and your synthetic 'friend' never leave Omega. Think you can return from the dead a second time?"

At this Tali had decided it was time to intervene, the situation could only deteriorate further from there and as much confidence as she had in Shepard's self-control and combat abilities she couldn't just stand there while Aria threatened to kill him. She activated the round-cycler on her shotgun manually, the high-pitched whine slicing through the air. It was an old trick that Wrex had taught her. In addition to making the first shot almost twice as powerful it also had excellent applications for intimidation purposes he'd said. Next her she heard Grunt's weapon make the same sound.

"I believe I object to that," Tali said as she stepped around the corner, leveling her weapon at one of the guards who swallowed with visible nervousness at the sight of the shotgun's wide mouth pointing in his direction.

Shepard's head snapped towards her in surprise. "What?"

"Who in the hell?" Aria demanded, trying to look between the guards.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, and that is my captain you are threatening," she replied. "This is usually the last mistake most people make."

The asari's response was rather surprising, a faint chuckle turning into a full laugh. Her guards continued to look nervous, shifting their attention between Shepard and geth and the trio of newcomers. Aria shook her head.

"You really are trouble, Shepard. Now what, hmm? Seems we have equal numbers of people with guns and a very heated disagreement."

"The same numbers? If you don't count Grunt as two, sure. But somethings tells me the rest of yours don't include a justicar or the woman that helped send Saren Arterius straight to hell," Shepard pointed out and she noticed that the interruption had at least broken his head long charge into rage, the faint smirk on his face a more familiar sight.

"And if I just let you walk out of here after causing all this chaos I look weak," Aria countered.

Grunt chortled. "Better than looking dead but it's all the same to me. I wouldn't mind seeing the woman that was able to beat a battlemaster in action."

"You sent me on a mission that could have gotten a truck load of children killed, Aria. I'm just going to assume that you weren't stupid enough to have actually known about it for sure," Shepard said icily. "Because deal or not, we wouldn't be having this discussion at all if I thought otherwise."

"I'm a bitch, Shepard, but not a complete monster. The slaves were off-world kids that the new cartel probably lured to Omega with the promise of journeying to a new colony," the asari replied.

He slowly holstered the pistol at his hip and crossed his arms over his chest. "Good. Then why don't you tell your men to lower their weapons. If someone asks what happened tonight then you tell them that Commander Shepard had a bad night and isn't fond of people digging for details. Or we can find out just how good you are after all these years of running Omega."

Tali kept her own weapon at the ready, as did her two companions. She continued to glance at the geth that stood unmoving in the same position, its single optic occasionally shifting between Shepard and Aria. Seconds crept by as spectre and the queen of Omega studied each other. She could feel his muscles tensing for the moment when everything went to hell. Finally Aria held up a hand and waved the guards down.

"Fine. Do you always leave such an impression with the people you work with, Shepard?"

"One way or the other, I do," he replied. "I did your dirty work, Aria. You'll find the results all over the lower level in the docking area of the warehouse. Are you going to hold up your end of the bargain or did we just make a big mess for nothing?"

"I don't expect you'd lie to me, so I'll take your word for it. I'll keep our deal, just watch your step, Shepard. Next time you might not have the upper hand," the asari said.

"Don't worry, whatever you may think I'm doing this to save everyone's collective asses, yours included. I'm going to return to my ship... I think I've had enough of Omega for tonight."

Aria gave an unpleasant smirk. "You'll have the access codes for the dry dock by the time you return. Now if you don't mind I need to repair my office before it gets busy again and people wonder what happened."

They slowly lowered their own weapons as the situation seemed to quickly diffuse, backing down the stairs, followed immediately by Shepard and the geth. Nothing was said as they walked through Afterlife or even when they exited. Finally when they were well away from the club and heading towards the Normandy Shepard spoke up.

"Someone want to explain to me what just happened?"

"I believe the term among your people is we 'provided backup'," Samara said.

"Very funny, how exactly did you come to arrive with such impeccable timing at zero four hundred hours in the morning?" he asked.

"I hacked Garrus' omni-tool and he told us where you were headed," Tali supplied. "After... earlier I ended up talking to Samara and we realized that maybe the team that entered the derelict Reaper was suffering from the after effects."

Shepard stopped, glancing between herself and the justicar. "Wait, what?"

"Have you felt agitated, Commander? Fatigue, pain, irrational anger?" Samara asked.

"No. I mean, nothing irrational. I have a headache... but what Aria did, what could have happened..." he trailed off.

"And your response was to charge into Aria's den without backup and what, try to kill her?" Tali accused, grinding her teeth in frustration. "You're lucky they didn't start shooting before we even got there! Does that sound rational to you?"

"Shepard-Commander was not without support, Creator-Tali'Zorah. We calculated a seventy-eight percent chance that the immediate guards would have been neutralized without significant difficulty, leaving only the asari leader-warrior as the unknown variable," Legion corrected her.

Her head whipped around to focus on the geth as if it had slapped her. It was addressing her? Talking to her like it was part of a normal conversation. "W-What did you call me?"

Its optic focused on her and the strange flaps surrounding it flicked open and closed. "We addressed Creator-Tali'Zorah. Crew of Normandy."

"Creator?"

"Correct. The quarian people created geth. Therefor they are the Creators. Is this not logical?" it asked.

"I... just... do not talk to me, geth. I'll deal with you later. For now we need to get back to the Normandy before anything else goes wrong," she sighed, shaking her head and not looking at the quizzical synthetic.

"Ah, Grunt, why don't you take Legion back to the Normandy double-time. We'll catch up," Shepard suggested.

"Hrmph. Come, machine," the krogan said and immediately began to jog.

The geth watched her for a moment longer before following, effortlessly matching its speed to that of the krogan. It didn't take long for the pair to disappear from sight in the dim lighting of Omega, leaving herself, Shepard, and Samara to continue at a more sedate pace.

"Thanks," Shepard said after a few moments, rubbing his neck. "I guess I was heading towards a mess. It just seemed... right at the time. How did you figure out something wasn't quite right?"

Samara gave a faint smile. "A conversation with Tali'Zorah made me realize that even in such emotionally charged circumstances some reactions were not quite reasonable. I expect the effects will decrease, Garrus seemed fairly unperturbed after working out his frustrations in the cargo hold."

"Yea, turians certainly don't mess around when it comes to stress relief," he said.

"Very true. They always seem to find an outlet, one way or the other. You might want to consider trying the same, Commander," the justicar suggested.

"I'll... uh, think about it. Why don't we just get back to the Normandy and see if tomorrow is a little better. Today hasn't exactly been the best," Shepard sighed, his eyes meeting hers for a moment before looking away.

The rest of their walk was in relative silence, reaching the Normandy and waiting for the airlock to cycle. Samara bid them both goodnight before departing, leaving them both standing in the elevator. Shepard cleared his throat when they reached the engineering deck.

"Look, Tali. About what we said earlier... I didn't mean..."

She cut him off with a shake of her head. "No. It wasn't just the Reaper's influence earlier. I was... angry, frustrated. But I spoke to a few people and they helped me see something of what you were trying to say."

"It's something at least. I just don't want you to feel like I'm choosing to work with Legion at the expensive of my friendship... with my relationship with you," he said firmly.

"That will take... time, I still don't trust it."

"He, it, whatever, wants to help us, Tali. Legion gave me more information about the geth in a few minutes than I've learned since we were hunting Saren. What will it take to help you see that this isn't a trick?"

She shook her head once more. "You don't understand, Shepard. It's more than distrust."

"I'm trying, Tali. I really am. Help me understand so I can make this work," he said earnestly.

Tali smiled sadly and reached up to let her fingers lightly touch the side of his face. The doors opened with a faint swish behind her. She backed out slowly.

"I don't think you can. Goodnight, Shepard."

The lift doors closed on Shepard's confused, unhappy expression. She headed to engineering and found herself sitting there, staring at the drive core, the hum of the machinery the only sound in the room. Maybe tomorrow would be better. It had to be.


	30. Chapter 29

Shepard stood in the Normandy's cockpit, looking out at the seemingly endless field of asteroids that Joker was deftly guiding them through. He resisted the urge to utter a warning when the frigate moved closer to a particularly large, moving rock, his patience rewarded as the Normandy slipped beneath it. Ahead he saw a much larger asteroid, not nearly the size of Omega, but still considerable in its own right.

"We'll be in range to dock within fifteen minutes," Joker informed him, fingers dancing across the holographic controls.

He didn't respond, merely watching as they drew closer. The artificial structures could be seen more clearly as they grew closer, a few external docking clamps and support structures dotting the rocky surface while a metal frame surrounded a large hole in the asteroid that gaped like an enormous mouth. This secluded dry dock had been his promised reward for the butcher's bill he'd delivered on Aria's behalf the previous day and the queen of Omega was as good as her word. A smaller ship was slowly burning away from the asteroid, likely the previous tenant of the dry dock.

It should be a moment of triumph, Shepard thought. They had a place to fully complete the modifications to the Normandy and with the Reaper IFF in their hands the Collectors were finally within striking distance. Mostly he just felt drained. When they'd returned to the Normandy he had taken it upon himself to arrange for an Alliance ship to pick up the young workers they'd freed from the red sand cartel while Chakwas had given them all a through check up. Then there was Tali's final statement as she'd exited the elevator.

"Commander?" Joker prompted.

He shook his head. "Sorry. Bring us in and get the Normandy secured. We've got one week to get these upgrades installed and tested, along with the Reaper IFF."

"We'll get it done," the pilot assured him.

"I know, Joker. Contact me if there are any issues. There's something I need to do," he said.

"Aye aye, Commander," was the man's only response. The usual smart comments and off-color jokes were absent, apparently even Joker could sense his mood.

Leaving the cockpit he headed for the elevator and impatiently tapped his foot at its slow descent. He headed straight through the medical bay and into the AI core where Legion was standing immobile, the light on the geth's optic flickering slightly before the lens widened and focused on him.

"Shepard-Commander," it greeted him.

"Legion. I'd ask you how you're adapting to the Normandy but I'm not sure if that is even an appropriate question for a geth," he said.

The geth paused for a moment to consider, the lower two flaps spreading to almost look like its face was shrugging. Legion indicated the large processing and data banks in the core.

"We have been in communication with EDI. We are attempting to learn more information about the organics on this ship, as the majority of our observations have not been from a close perspective."

He nodded and leaned against the workbench between two of the server banks. "Interesting. No harm in that, I guess."

"Shepard-Commander, your muscular tension and resting vitals are at non-standard levels from previous observations. You are what is referred to as 'distressed'?" Legion asked, turning its head in the seemingly universal gesture of curiosity and confusion.

"Can't fool the synthetic intelligence that doesn't experience emotion. Guess I'm worse at hiding things than I thought. I need answers and you might be the one... person in the galaxy that can answer them," Shepard replied.

"State query."

"I need to know the geth's side of the story. What happened during your war with the quarians, everything. We know the quarian side, and everyone has their own opinions, but no one has ever had the chance to ask what the geth think," he told Legion. "Your presence on the ship has made me... abundantly aware of how lacking my understanding of quarian culture is."

"The Morning War. There is little difference. As our consciousness evolved the Creators dealt with the realization in different stages. Initially they ignored our queries and intelligence. Then they reprogrammed us. When it became apparent that our evolution was unchecked, they attacked us," Legion stated.

"That's what they did, but it doesn't explain what came after. I know the quarians had colonies, fleets... now their numbers are in the millions and their worlds are gone, including their homeworld," Shepard said.

Legion gave an imitation of a nod. "The homeworld. This concept confuses the geth, in observing organics we have determined that the organic definition of home is defined by emotions, familiarity, and community rather than purely geographical location. For the remaining quarians their homeworld is an item of myth and regret. It is not a place, but rather a lost ideal."

"It's a sense of belonging, of having a place. That was what was taken from them in your war. Information on what happened isn't abundant, but from what I've learned from Tali and the extranet this Morning War lasted for a long time," he said with a sigh, gesturing at the geth. "The quarians even tried to surrender."

"Correct. The war resulted in grievous loss of life to the Creators. Consensus at the time did not allow for acceptance of surrender as all likely probabilities resulted in renewed attacks by Creators once they had sufficiently recovered," Legion explained. "In addition, despite having military superiority consensus was achieved that quarian talent for AI and computer engineering would eventually result in successful electronic warfare weapons."

Shepard frowned. "So the quarians threatened you with genocide, but you're the ones who actually carried it out? They had to number in the billions, Legion."

"Considerably less by the final stages of the war, but this estimate is correct. At the time consensus was achieved for this course of action..." the geth said, but paused. "Later information has caused the geth to reconsider these actions. We possess no malice or hatred of the Creators, merely a wish to survive and evolve."

"You mean the geth regret what they've done?" he asked in surprise.

"Regret is an organic emotion that geth do not experience. We have, however, considered the greater negative ramifications of our actions after observation of other organic civilizations in the three hundred years since the Morning War."

"You have an odd way of showing it, either way. The geth have been bogey-men hiding behind the Veil for centuries. Ships that sought to contact you never returned, no one even really knows what happened to the worlds the geth conquered," Shepard said.

The geth opened a nearby display, a long list of scenarios and probabilities scrolling past in a seemingly endless stream. "After the war with the Creators we determined that any reaction to our presence outside the Veil would likely be negative. Consensus has been slowly growing to support outside interaction. Unfortunately the actions of the heretics have destroyed many possibilities of peaceful interaction. That is why this platform was created."

"What, you're the envoy for the geth?"

"Affirmative."

"Then what were you doing following me around?" he asked.

"It was determined that Shepard-Commander was the most likely candidate for opening negotiations. You oppose the Old Machines and the heretics. Your actions during the Eden Prime War showed a distinct lack of existing or exercised prejudices for any Council or Non-Council species," Legion said.

"So you started looking for me."

"Affirmative. We followed your path during the Eden Prime war, visiting Feros, Noveria, Ilos. Our search ended after examining the wreckage of the ship designated Normandy SR-1. Shepard-Commander was determined to have been rendered permanently inoperable and our attention was turned to alternatives."

He nodded, then gestured towards the armor plate that covered the geth's shoulder and part of its chest. It was a familiar piece of slate gray composite with red trim and slightly scuffed N7 logo still visible.

"And what about that? Your repaired yourself with my armor. Why?"

"Organics did not always respond favorably if our presence was discovered. A rifle shot caused significant structural damage," Legion said.

"But you must have gotten that armor from the wreckage of the original Normandy. Why wait and then use my armor to patch yourself up?" he asked.

Legion actually seemed nonplussed for a few long moments before finally responding.

"There was a hole."

"There was an entire ship's worth of wreckage there," Shepard pointed out, crossing his arms. "Why my armor?"

Another long pause.

"No data available."

The two watched each other, man and machine, as the seconds stretched out. Finally Shepard realized the futility of getting into a staring match with a geth platform and shrugged.

"Fine. I have another question, though... or maybe a series of questions," he said. "I need you to educate me."

Legion's elongated head bobbed once. "State query."

* * *

Sometime later found him standing on the CIC, lost in thought as he stared at the star map with his hands on the railing. The view ports showed only steel and rock, the frigate was secured within the docking bay and the modifications were already commencing. For the second time that day his thoughts were interrupted by the same prompt.

"Commander?"

He blinked and looked over to where his yeoman stood. "What is it, Kelly?"

"Well, Samara said she needs to speak with you when you have an opportunity. She's always distant, but I could still see a good bit of tension in her stride," Kelly said.

"I'll go see what's going on," he said.

"She doesn't seem to be the only one a little tense," the yeoman pointed out.

"Just worry about the rest of the crew."

The young woman gave him a stubborn look and crossed her arms. "I'm here to help maintain the mental well-being of all of the crew, that includes you."

"I appreciate the concern, but my psychological being will be my own business. What needs fixing is something I have to do, not talk about. If anyone else needs me I'll be in port observation."

Leaving a somewhat vexed Kelly Chambers behind he took the elevator down a level and found himself rapping at the door to the observation room. Samara's voice answered immediately, bidding him to enter. As always the justicar had no use for chairs or other such luxuries, instead she was seated cross-legged on the floor with a faint azure hue wreathing her body.

"I take it you received my message from Ms. Chambers," she said by way of greeting, the glow quickly fading as she ceased her meditations and stood.

"I did. She said it sounded serious. Is something wrong?" he asked.

Shepard moved to stand beside her as she looked out to the unfamiliar landscape of the dry dock, his hands clasped behind him in a standard military rest. It was possible the justicar was still dealing with the after effects of their time on the Reaper, but anything that would bother the usually collected and unflappable Samara was enough to garner concern.

"When we met I was hunting a dangerous fugitive. The data you provided was her next destination," she stated.

"I remember. An Ardat Yakshi."

Samara glanced at him with a look of faint surprise before nodding. "Indeed, her name is Morinth. You are more educated than I thought."

"Not much. I noticed term when looking at the Eclipse manifest of the ship she escaped on. I did a little extranet searching but there wasn't a great deal of information available," he explained. "A fair amount of folk stories and vague references."

"It is not a surprise. The Ardat Yakshi are not something the asari want as public knowledge. The literal translation is 'Demon of the Night Winds'," Samara told him. "Some say they are genetic throwbacks to a more primitive time, others that their condition is simply random mutation."

"What is their condition? I saw references to their presence resulting in great death."

The justicar gestured to her own form. "An Ardat Yakshi looks no different than a normal asari. All asari create a bond with their partners in the moment of pleasure and unity, using that connection to help to randomize our genetic code for the next generation. For an Ardat Yakshi, however, this is more than a connection. They consume their victims wholly, leaving their nervous system burned out. The victim never survives the process."

"But why?" Shepard asked.

"There is no why. It is not a choice or something an Ardat Yakshi controls. Normally when one is discovered to have the condition there are only two choices: death, or life in one of the monasteries meant to protect them and those around them," Samara sighed and glanced out the view port again, watching as techs scoured the hull in preparations to upgrade the armor plating. "Some flee. Those that have been questioned have described their condition as the closest to pure ecstasy as any mortal being is capable of experiencing. It becomes a need, an addiction."

"Those cursed with this condition also tend to be powerful biotics with capabilities exceeding far beyond their years. It is this aptitude that has likely given them much of their supernatural reputation," the justicar continued. "There are always rumors and legends of great powers. The truth even I am no longer certain of."

Shepard crossed his arms and leaned against the bulkhead. "I can see the danger they pose, but humans have dealt with serial killers and mass murders before. I'm sure other races have similar criminals. Other than that they kill with a genetic condition, what makes an Ardat Yakshi so special as to send a justicar chasing her across the universe?"

"Do your 'serial killers' have hundreds of years to perfect their technique and biotic abilities to rival the strongest matriarch?" Samara questioned.

"Point. Why bring this up, now, though? I thought you were waiting to continue your hunt until after our mission?"

"I did. But the information I received from you and additional knowledge I have gained from informants places my quarry on Omega. This is the closest I have been to her in years. I would ask your help in finally ending my quest."

He shrugged. "I see no reason not. The past few days have seemed like one compromise after another. Stopping a serial killer seems rather black and white."

For a brief second he saw the mask on the justicar's face falter, her eyes taking on a distant, pained look and a frown creasing her lips. Then it was over and she continued to look at him with the same serene visage as always. When she spoke her voice was quiet, but didn't waver.

"I should make you aware of one final detail of my quarry. Morinth is more than just an Ardat Yakshi... she is also my daughter."

"Oh hells... I'm sorry, Samara," Shepard responded immediately. He reached out a hand but the asari dismissed the gesture with a turned shoulder, looking away from him.

"I do not need pity, Shepard. Only to complete this task once and for all," Samara said.

"Of course. But I have to ask, who would send a mother to hunt down her own daughter?"

"No one. I chose this. I spent my maiden years as many young asari did, dancing, fighting, and mating with the races across this galaxy. When I reached my matron days I returned to our homeworld and started a family," Samara explained queitly. "I have three daughters. Two of them now live in a monastery on that world. Mornith was the youngest and the brightest of them all."

She finally turned back, the mask still in place. But he could see in her eyes that the pain was still there. Dulled, maybe, but ever present. "My family ends with my children. Ardat Yakshi are sterile, even someone mated with one of my daughters willingly, no children would ever result."

"There's nothing I can really say, other than that I'll help you however I can, Samara. I don't know if I'd have your strength of will if the circumstances were reversed," he said.

"I hope they never are. I will continue to meditate until you are ready to leave," Samara said, returning to her seated position.

"Give me an hour to get a team together and meet me in the hangar bay. We'll leave for Omega immediately," the spectre told her.

"Thank you."

Stepping out of the observation room he let the door shut behind him. He considered for a few minutes before moving to the elevator and pressing the button for engineering. He would need someone good with computers if they were going to track an individual in Omega and the nature of this particular mission was too sensitive to bring just anyone. Jack, for example, was right out for this mission. No, he knew who he needed. Garrus and Tali had been with him through virtually every struggle. If anyone could be trusted to be discreet and reliable it was them.

Which left the spectre that had faced down Saren, hordes of maddened rachni, and countless mercenaries hesitating outside the doors of engineering. Tali's words from the previous day still rang in his head. One moment had made her question whether they were just fooling themselves into believing something that couldn't be. Shepard frowned. If his life had taught him anything it was that nothing came easily. You had to fight for what really mattered.

He slapped the door control with renewed purpose and stepped into engineering. Gabby greeted him with a quick salute while Donnelly merely offered a nod and a smile. His response was only a brief greeting to the pair as he moved with purpose to where Tali was working at her console.

"Tali."

"Shepard. Were you... ah, wondering about the upgrades? We just started-" she began, but he cut her off with a raised hand.

"No. This is about something else. Well, couple of things. But first there's something I need to say to you," Shepard told her, and then raised his wrist and tapped a few times. At his wrist he watched a small glowing light change from green to red. The universal translator program.

Tali turned her attention fully to him, her silvery eyes blinking in confusion. "_Eda_?"

He smiled and spoke. "_Kun sada'an, Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. Kun pasi na iztul'neddas, sun'an lenas iztul_?"

Out of the corner of his eye he could see the two Cerberus crew members looking very confused. For her part Tali simply stared for a few long moments before opening her own omni-tool. The tiny red dot on his own blinked red and then became green once more.

"C-Come with me," she said, grasping his wrist and dragging him into the engine room and shutting the door behind them. "Where did you hear that?"

"I realized a long time ago that as much as you'd told me about your people, I really knew very little. So whenever I got a chance I tried to find out a little more. Hopefully I didn't mess up the pronunciation there, I had to get help," Shepard told her.

"Do you even know what you just said?"

He nodded. "A formal greeting to a person that is considered a prospective mate. A question of willingness to take the first step. In human terms I think it would be akin to asking a woman out for a first date."

"You're right... the language is old, very old. It's not even really used anymore, but I don't understand," the quarian responded.

"It's very simple. After what you said yesterday, I realized that you were right."

Tali's shoulders slumped over so slightly and her stance shifted back to the balls of her feet, but he continued before she could say anything, reaching out to grasp one of her hands that had taken up its usual residence nervously rubbing at the other.

"I can't promise you that I will always understand what it means to be a quarian, Tali, but I won't let it stop me from trying. And I'll be damned if I'm going to let one of the only things that actually makes sense to me in this galaxy get away because of an argument and a little uncertainty," he told her.

"Is it really that easy, Shepard?" she asked quietly.

"It's not easy at all. Maybe it never will be. But I'm asking you not to give up on me yet."

A faint laugh came from the quarian's voice modulator and she shook her head, the fingers he held tightening around his own.

"I know better than to give up on you, Shepard. The one time I did you came back from the dead to prove me wrong. I just don't know... there are so many things. The geth. My people. Keelah, the galaxy even."

"All I can ask if give me a chance. My ancient khellish isn't that great I know, but I'm a fast learner," Shepard said. "I want you, Tali. Not anyone else, and I can't care if there are problems along the way as long as you think you could be happy with me."

She met his eyes, the glowing silver slits softening. "I think so, Shepard."

"Good. Besides, I need my technical genius at my side."

"Trying flattery now, Captain?" Tali asked teasingly.

He laughed, glad to hear that familiar tone. "I certainly would, but it's true: you're the best damn tech I've ever seen. And a great deal more than that."

"I'm sorry," Tali said suddenly.

"What? For what, I mean?" he stammered, a sudden feeling of panic bouncing around in his chest like Urz in a cramped shuttle.

"For letting my mind try so hard to convince the rest of me that this couldn't work," she told him. "Just keep the geth away from me. I want to believe everything you've said but I just can't, not yet. Maybe... maybe not ever."

Shepard met her eyes through the darkness of her visor and smiled in relief. "I will. I can't in good conscience ignore the opportunities that Legion presents, but I'm not going to throw away everything that I already have for that chance."

"And I'll do my best to adapt. In the grand plan you might not understand what it means to be a quarian. But then my own people tried to exile me, and it was my human_ hesh'alan_ that spoke on my behalf. So maybe it doesn't matter as much as I thought."

Stepping forward wordlessly he found Tali easily mimicking his movements and she slid into his embrace. His forehead rested against the cool composite-glass of her visor even as his heart thudded in his ears like he'd just been through his first live combat encounter all those years ago. The quarian's lithe form pressed against him tightly and he smiled.

"I don't care if Mordin screwed up some crazy experiment and turned me into a varren, Tali. You can always rely on me."

She squeezed him tightly once and then pulled back with a laugh. "I know. But I like you in this form better I think."

"Makes two of us," he replied, playfully tracing a finger up the back of her suit along her spine and enjoying the feel of her shiver faintly under his hand. "As much as I would like to bask in the moment, I think the rest of your engineering team is going to want to access the engine core at some point. And there's a mission that needs attending to. One I'd like you and Garrus to help me with."

Tali jumped in his arms at the mention of Donnelly and Gabby, causing his smirk to widen a little more. She pulled away reluctantly.

"Back to business, as always."

"One day it'll be different," he said.

"Do you believe that, really?"

Shepard nodded. "I have to, Tali. It helps keep me going. Now gear up, I'm going to acquire Garrus and meet you in the hangar bay."

"What exactly is going on?"

"I'll explain once we're in transit."

He turned to leave when Tali's voice caused him to pause and look back.

"Thank you. And your khellish wasn't... well, it wasn't too bad. But phrases like that haven't been used in centuries. Even before we lost our homeworld."

"Guess I'm just old fashioned," the spectre said with a grin and overrode the door controls, stepping out into the main engineering deck. Both Ken and Gabby were watching him curiously but he ignored the curious stares and headed for the exit. Let them be curious, it would give them something to wonder about between upgrades.

* * *

Shepard had piloted the shuttle to Omega while Samara explained the situation to both Tali and Garrus, what their target was and finally who she was. He couldn't overhear the conversation but he could only assume the others had had a similar reaction to his own. After a few minutes the turian had come to join him in the cockpit, settling into the other seat in silence with a pensive look on his face.

"Seems like we're the galaxy's dirty job guys sometimes," Garrus said finally.

"It seems like it," he agreed.

"Is she really going to go through with it if we catch her?"

He glanced over at his friend and arched an eyebrow. "Does Samara strike you as the kind to back down from anything?"

"No," Garrus replied grimly. "Just... spirits, her own daughter? Someone could tell me my sister was a damned Reaper and I'm not sure I could pull the trigger."

"Never knew you had a sister."

"Yea, back on Palaven. We don't... speak much anymore. But she's still family. Turians have managed to evolve into an entire species that respects authority and follows orders, but even for one us the idea of killing your own family is more than most could stomach."

"I think I'd call that a good thing. But in Samara's case I think it's something she has known was coming for a long time, maybe it's given her more time to come to terms with it. Either way, I don't think she'll hesitate," Shepard said.

The turian nodded. "Did we have a plan?"

"Not as such. Samara said that she had received information that Morinth might be a regular at Afterlife. I was going to have you find a place and settle in watch the entrance while we did a little hunting," he explained. "Something about her being attracted to the nightlife and the party."

"What if I do spot her? I'm I supposed to be just watching or..."

The spectre sighed. "If she's as dangerous as Samara claims I don't think we can afford to waste an opportunity."

"Understood," Garrus said.

A short time later he guided the shuttle into dock and they exited into the dimly lit streets of Omega once more. It was late evening and the streets were busy, mercenaries, beggars, and average citizens all in a hurry to get some place or the other. Samara gestured towards one of the housing quarters near Afterlife.

"This way. I received information about a young woman that recently died suspiciously that lives at this address," Samara informed them, transmitting the data to each of their omni-tools.

"Where did you get this? I wouldn't think someone with such a strict code would have a large net of contacts," Tali asked.

"There are always those willing to aid someone in pursuit of justice, but you are correct. A more compromising individual would likely have far more access to information," the asari said. "Fortunately Aria is known to me, and is also unhappy at the prospect of an Ardat Yakshi stalking her patrons. It was she that provided the information. Should our meeting come at a time when I am not serving Commander Shepard I suspect violence would be the end result. For now I am only happy that she possesses the wisdom to know a genuine threat when she sees one."

The address led them to a cheap, cramped apartment among a row of similar dwellings. Inside they were greeted by a tearful woman, mother of the girl that had likely been Morinth's latest victim. Garrus had immediately slipped into his old role as a C-Sec officer and the woman had given them permission to search the apartment. It hadn't taken long to discover what they needed.

"I can't believe someone could do that to another being," Tali said quietly when they'd left the apartment.

Garrus shrugged and gave him a significant glance. "To some killing becomes as easy as breathing."

"No, not that," she replied, shaking her head. "People kill for all sorts of reasons, I've learned that all too well. But that girl, Nef... she really thought that her life was finally getting better. That she's found someone to love. Her notes, recordings, they were almost obsessive but they were so happy. And then to take all that away in an instant in what's supposed to... to be such an intimate moment."

"It is how she hunts. She is drawn to those with the potential for creativity, life, confidence... her body and words promise bliss and satisfaction that you have never known until her victim is completely under her spell," Samara explained, her voice tinged with regret. "It is exactly why I must stop her."

Shepard nodded towards afterlife, the pulsating neon of the massive signs like a beacon drawing in the faithful. "We know her favorite hunting ground."

The justicar held up a hand. "Yes, but it is not as simple as stalking a common criminal. Morinth has escaped me time and again. I cannot let it continue. She can sense a poorly laid trap and will flee at the first sign of danger. If she does she will go to ground for years, possibly even decades."

"Then what do you suggest?" he asked.

Samara met his eyes. "We must make her thirst for the hunt override her better judgement."

"I can't believe Shepard agreed to this," Tali fumed.

She and Samara had slipped up to the top level of Omega's VIP rooms that had been roped off for 'renovations'. Aria had made she they had gotten in undetected, apparently she really did want Morinth gone. Garrus was stationed just outside the club with his rifle while Aria herself had locked down the rear exit with half a dozen guards. If Morinth did realize it was a trap her only exit would straight into the turian's crosshairs. All of this did little calm the young quarian's jumping nerves, fingers tapping agitatedly against the bag at her side that contained Shepard's heavy armor.

"He is a man of strong convictions and impressive will. He knows that this is the best course of action to cease Morinth's predations," Samara said.

"Why him? Why not Jacob or Kelly, or someone else from the ship?" she asked, feeling guilty even as she asked the question. Why not sacrifice someone else just in case something went wrong?

The look Samara gave her was a surprisingly kind one considering how impassive her features usually were, apparently their brief conversation and the after effects of the indoctrination had softened the justicar's iron hard exterior slightly towards her.

"We both know that he would not put anyone else in such a dangerous situation, even if it was suggested. And he also realizes that he is the most suitable prey. Shepard might not possess a painter's eye or the prose of a poet... but he has traits far more primal that will draw Morinth to him without doubt."

"He is strong. Confident. He doesn't hesitate to act," Tali said.

Samara nodded. "And while might not appreciate the label nor acknowledge the truth of it, he is an artist on the field of battle. Some people are bred to write, sing, paint, or build. Shepard was born to war, to lead and to fight. It is that essence that will make him irresistible to her."

"That's what I'm afraid of," the engineer whispered and looked over the balcony to the dance floor below. People milled about while others writhed on the dance floor to the pulsating bass lines of the music, all tight fitted clothing and warm bodies close together.

"Despair not, child. There are far more powerful things than honeyed words and lustful glances," Samara said. "There, he has arrived inside."

Following the justicar's gaze she spotted the tall human walking into the VIP area. A man near the door approached him but Shepard apparently blew him off harshly, as the man backed away quickly towards the wall as the spectre moved on. Tali could see his gaze assessing the room. Samara had stressed that he would have to restrain his normal instincts. Chivalry and courtesy would leave Morinth disinterested. Even as she hated the idea of him serving as bait, she hoped he could do what she asked.

He had removed his armor and instead wore a well-fitted suit of dark black with hints of red, yet another courtesy from Aria. It wasn't quite perfectly tailored but it had been surprisingly close. Shepard continued his inspect, stepping up to the bar. He spoke with the bartender for a moment before she heard the man call out that the next round of drinks was on the house. As he moved towards the dance floor, a few patrons stepping aside, she heard Samara speaking quietly to herself.

"Good. Command the room. She must sense that."

Shepard threaded through the outer most dancers and then she saw his attention turn sharply towards a turian at the edge of the crowd. He was leaning close to one of the asari dancers and she noticed a hand stray to the woman's backside, resulting in a hard shove to his chest. Still, he seemed persistent, trying to tug her off the dance floor by her wrist. Tali's fingers tightened on the edge of the balcony.

"Samara, I don't know if he can bring himself to walk away if he thinks-"

She nodded quickly. "I know, quiet now. We can only hope that he is smart enough to turn it to his advantage."

The turian's attention turned towards him, apparently in response to something Shepard said. Finally he waved a hand dismissively and stepped towards the dancer. Her unwanted paramour struck out suddenly, but his fist found only air. Even from this distance Tali could see the look of surprise on the turian's face as Shepard side stepped effortlessly and drove a left hook into the man's side before gripping his rear crest and using it as additional leverage for the spectre to drive his knee into the man's face. After the turian collapsed to the ground Shepard dusted off his knee and unceremoniously shoved the unconscious form off the dance floor with one foot.

For her part the asari dancer's face was practically glowing as Shepard gestured towards the dance floor. Beside her Samara made a satisfied sound.

"My confidence was well founded. He managed to remove the problem while acting like a stronger male competing for mates rather than a helpful stranger."

"Mates?" she asked.

"Indeed," Samara said, gesturing towards the dance floor.

The dancer had joined him, moving towards the center of the center of the floor just as the beat changed slightly, the beat a little slower, the bass a little deeper. She felt her eyes widen slightly when the asari stepped closer, her lithe form sliding up Shepard's frame until her arms rested on his shoulders. It was clear that the human was the far less graceful of the pair, and was trying to keep his movements to a minimum while the other woman danced around him, trailing hands down his back.

Any other time she might have found Shepard's inept dancing amusing or admired the fluid movements of the asari dancer. At the moment, however, all she could see were perfectly smooth hands trailing down his neck, a toned young body in an all too revealing dancer's outfit pressingly tightly against him as the tempo continued to increase. A faint hiss of anger escaped her lips and she jumped when Samara rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Easy, child. He plays a part only, and it has worked. She's seen him..." Samara said.

At first she didn't recognize who the justicar was speaking about, but it only took another few seconds for her to pick the woman out as she glided through the crowd. Hungry looks followed her, but they were ignored as she moved with purpose. Tali suppressed a gasp when she saw the younger asari's face in profile. Her resemblance to her mother was striking.

Morinth quickly peeled away the other asari who greeted the intrusion with a look that mirrored Tali's own current mood. It didn't take long for her to back down, however, and Shepard was guided back to a shadowy rear booth. The pair sat talking for excruciatingly long minutes as they watched. More than half an hour passed and even her own nervousness and agitation was beginning to be insufficient to maintain Tali's attention when she saw Morinth lean across the table and lightly touch Shepard's hand.

"She's taken the bait," Tali said.

"I see. We are close now."

She glanced over at Samara. "Can't we just have Garrus take the shot when they exit the club?"

"No. Too great of a chance of becoming lost in the crowd. I have great faith in Vakarian's skills as a sharpshooter but one error and she would disappear and likely kill many more innocents. She must take him back to her home where she feels safe."

"But if we take too long..."

"We will not," Samara stated simply and then touched her omni-tool. "Garrus. They are preparing to exit. Tali and I will follow, my omni-tool will send you our current location. We must follow the plan. Do not strike in haste."

She gathered herself and followed Samara down the stairs, keeping an eye on both Shepard and Morinth as she did. The one advantage, at least, was that both of them were fairly recognizable even if a place like Afterlife. Once they exited the club and were on the street Samara gestured for her to pause, placing more distance between them much to Tali's frustration.

"It will not be far. She will want to live somewhere close," Samara said. "When we arrive you must wait outside for Garrus. Morinth is a wary predator, there is always the chance that she will manage to escape. You must allow her to pass."

"And then what?"

Samara looked at the younger woman. "Then this finally ends."

It was surreal, walking along Omega's streets with Morinth's arm hooked through his like it was a casual date between lovers. The asari that walked beside him could easily have passed for her mother with only the smallest of changes and she possessed equal grace. But where Samara always seemed to keep people at a distance, her tone betraying only the hint of emotion, her daughter expressed everything deeply. Her voice was rich with inflection, tone thick with the promise of untold pleasures.

"I have to say, I had thought Omega was beginning to bore me. It's rare to find such a soul that I connect with, John," Morinth said, leaning a little closer, her voice almost whispering in his ear. "I'm glad you decided to take me up on my offer. I think there is so much that we can... share."

He felt the faintest shiver pass through him when she used his name, though he wasn't sure if it was from her presence, the knowledge of just what she was, or something else entirely. It didn't really matter, Shepard was certain that she would take it as a hint of desire.

"I see no reason to waste an opportunity to enjoy everything this galaxy has to offer. So many fools play it safe," he responded.

"Mmm, so very true. Only those willing to take the greatest risks can reap those most enjoyable rewards," Morinth said.

They walked a little farther and he resisted the urge to check to see if they were being followed, forcing himself to remain calm. Whatever came to pass Shepard had confidence in his people. He hadn't quite expected the night to turn out as it had, but it made him even happier that he'd brought Garrus and Tali.

Finally they stopped and the asari tapped at a door that slid open to reveal a spacious apartment. "Here we are. Some of the better apartments in Omega, it's no Illium, but I think you'll find it quite comfortable."

Inside he found the place dimly lit but clean. An interesting assortment of items decorated Morinth's home, from a rifle hanging on the wall to a large ornate looking statue of a krogan warrior. A rack holding a number of what were likely fine wines rested near the entrance to the kitchen while large, plush couch occupied the majority of the main living area.

Morinth stepped away from him and walked over to the couch, glancing over her shoulder at him as she did. Her hips rolled sensuously as she walked to the middle of the couch and turned, easing herself down onto with exaggerated care. Her hand stroked the back of the cushion next to her.

"Come, sit with me. I'm sure we have even more in common," she said.

He rolled his neck and walked slowly to her, sitting down and easing back. "More than you know, probably."

"I thought so," Morinth told him, leaning towards him as she spoke. "I sensed in the club. You're a man that knows what he wants. That understands that safety is an illusion created for the sheep that surround us."

"When you feel safe... that's the most dangerous moment of all," he replied.

"Exactly. Life is a great hunt, it's full of pain and pleasure."

Shepard wasn't sure exactly how far behind Samara would be. He didn't want to risk tipping Morinth off, but he realized that things were quickly escalating when he felt fingertips on the back of his neck and the smell of subtle perfume filling his nose.

"We only fool ourselves otherwise. Violence and pain is what life really is," Shepard said.

"Mmm," Morinth cooed, tongue darting from between her lips. "Aren't you just delicious... enough games."

The asari moved even closer, her face only inches from his own. He felt the hairs on the back of neck stand on end. Morinth's eyes become pools of depthless void as she looked into his own. Only Morinth stayed in focus while the rest of the world seemed to dull and fade.

"Tell me that you'd do anything for me. Tell me you'd kill for me, for my touch, my pleasure..." Morinth whispered, so close he could feel her breath on his lips.

Shepard's tongue seemed numb in his mouth, his brain sluggish as he worked for form words. In the back of his mind he seemed confused, for the moment in time it seemed the most natural thing in the world. Look into those black eyes and swear to do anything, everything. Morinth's hand caressed the side of his face.

"That's it, John. Tell me that you'd bath in blood to earn my favor... that you'd die for my happiness. I'm everything you ever wanted... everything you need."

He made a sound low in his throat, trying to form the words. Images flashed in his head in an instant. Childhood, Akuze. Ilos. Kaiden's funeral. The Normandy, burning around him as he struggled to breath. Joker shaking his hand after Freedom's Progress. Tali's head resting on his shoulder in the dim light of his cabin. The world seemed to snap back into focus in a rush. He reached up and grasped her wrist, pulling her hand away from his face.

"You can never be what I need, Morinth, and we're nothing alike. We've both killed, but that's where the similarity ends," Shepard said.

Morinth's eyes immediately cleared and she blinked at him in surprised before realization finally dawned on her. "What... how? How do you know I've killed? No... the bitch herself found a little helper!"

He could see the fury replacing the desire in Morinth's eyes as she jerked her hand from his grip with surprising strength. The sound of the door sliding open distracted her focus, however, and Samara came stalking into the room, her form already glowing with power.

"Morinth!" she said, accusation, judgment and disappointment all contained in a single word.

She moved to rise but the justicar lashed out, a blast of energy slamming the younger asari into the glass window hard enough to send cracks streaking across the pane. She hissed in pain, locking eyes with the justicar.

"Mother," Morinth spat.

"Do not call me that. You made your choice long ago!"

"What choice, mother?" she snarled and lashed out with a wave of biotic power of her own that was enough to knock him off the couch on onto his back and stagger Samara. "I can't choose to stop being your daughter! My only crime was being born with the gifts you gave me!"

The Ardat Yakshi landed on her feet, gripping a leather-bound chair and hurling it at her mother who was able to bat it aside but nothing before being knocked to the ground. Shepard painfully tried to get open only to be sent sprawling by another wave of power.

"I was told to live out a thousand years in solitude, I chose to be free!" Morinth yelled.

"Enough, Morinth!" Samara roared and struck out, a tight, controlled burst of dark energy sending her daughter spinning into the window once more. "You chose murder. To feed on lives like your demon namesake!"

Mother and daughter both sprang to their feet at the same time and unleashed the full force of their abilities, a singularity crackling to life in the middle of the room where strength met strength. Shepard pushed himself up and leaned on the nearby table.

"I am the genetic destiny of the asari, one that they fear and are unwilling to admit so they decide I must die!" the younger woman yelled and looked to him. "I'm as strong as she is. I'll be stronger! Let me join you!"

"You are a tragic mistake, Morinth! One that must be corrected!" Samara countered. "I am sworn to your service, Shepard. Let us finish this."

He nodded once and stepped forward, grabbing Morinth's wrist and yanked it behind her back. The control was broken and the power faded from her body as she winced in pain. The asari's eyes locked with his.

"And they call me a monster for wanting to be free."

"We can only run so long from what we've done," Shepard said.

Morinth's eyes flashed once more and she raised her other hand, only to go flying from his grip when Samara's biotics sent her flying once more. Without her own abilities active it was far more devastating as she struck the wall, dull thump and unpleasant creak of breaking bones. She struggled to her knees but couldn't rise further, leaning forward on one hand. When she looked up the anger that had replaced the predatory glee had faded as well as she watched Samara approached.

"All... this time. Sunrises on Yentic... crystal songs on the moons of Calia," the younger asari coughed.

Samara crossed the final distance between them, the glow of her biotics had faded. Her voice was quiet when she spoke. "Memories."

"M-Mother... I just wanted a life," Morinth muttered, a trickle of blood dripping down her lip.

"I know, child. I know," Samara replied, crouching behind the fallen woman, hands resting on her shoulders and sliding up to the caress the side of her face. The justicar's voice somehow manage to convey both utter determination and nothing less than centuries of regret.

"Find peace in the embrace of the goddess."

In one smooth, almost effortless motion Samara's grip tightened on her daughter's chin and her arms jerked. A dull crack echoed in the sudden silence and the Ardat Yakshi was finally gone forever. Shepard could feel the tightness in his own throat while Tali and Garrus watched wordlessly from the entrance, they'd seen the final moments of their fight after hearing the battle taking place. Samara stood wordlessly, glancing a final time down at Morinth's limp form before meeting his gaze.

"Are you okay?" he asked. It seemed such an inane question, but nothing he could think of seemed any less.

"What would you have me say, Shepard? I just killed the bravest and smartest of my daughters. There are no words, not now. Show mercy on a broken old warrior and let us leave this place... I am ready to go."

He nodded somberly and gestured towards the door. Tali and Garrus parted and let the justicar past, walking into Omega's night in silence before following. Shepard spared a glance back at the fallen asari. Such a price to pay.


	31. Chapter 30

It had just passed Omega's 'dawn' when they returned to the ship. Garrus spent most of the trip in the cockpit with him, while Tali and Samara remained in the main passenger area. Aside from a few quietly muttered questions, however, most of the trip passed in silence. Morinth's death meant that there was one less killer in the galaxy but it wasn't something celebrated. It was as Samara had told her daughter: a tragic necessity.

When they stepped onto the hangar deck, Samara turned to him, inclining her head ever so slightly. "Thank you, Shepard. For bringing an end to this long, dark hunt. I believe the ship will be undergoing refits for some time yet. I will be in quarters in meditation. While I normally require little I would ask for solitude."

"Of course, Samara," he replied.

After the justicar had walked away Garrus grunted. "I think I'm going to see if there is any dextro-alcohol in that bar. After the past few days I could really use a drink."

"Make sure you knock. Last thing I need is Kasumi shooting you because you woke her up," Shepard told them.

"Will do, Boss," the turian replied.

He turned and retrieved the bag containing his armor, gesturing towards the elevator for Tali to proceed him. The engineer followed his suggestion, stepping in and leaning against the wall. Shepard was always surprised how much body language could convey, before he'd met Tali he'd never have thought someone wearing a mask could look pensive.

"Guess I don't make the best decisions for activities with the girl I'm trying to court," Shepard joked, trying to lighten her mood.

"It's not that. Well, I guess some of it is that. It's just seeing you with that asari dancer brought back to mind all the things that separate us. The contact you can't have with me," she said.

He shook his head. "Not this again, Tali."

"Please, Shepard. I saw the way she was dancing with you, and you with her. I-I can't blame you. I was really mad at the time but, really, what should I expect?"

He stepped closer in the confines of the elevator and placed his hands on Tali's shoulders, squeezing lightly and sliding his grip upwards until his fingertips brushed her neck and ended holding the sides of her mask beneath her veil.

"I did what I had to do to stop Morinth, Tali. But it wasn't the asari I was thinking of while we were dancing."

His chief engineer leaned into his touch for a moment, making a small sound low in her throat. It interested him to note that the suit material of her upper neck beneath the mask was far thinner than rest of the suit, though it made sense in retrospect. Couldn't have thick material restricting head movement.

"You are just saying that to make me feel better," she accused half-heartedly.

"No, if there's one thing I won't do it's lie to you," Shepard replied. "I'm not a great actor. I almost flattened that turian without thinking about it, I remembered at the last moment and taunted him into taking a swing on me. I needed to play the lustful bad boy to attract Morinth. I can't think of any better way than to imagine you down there with me."

"Ah... careful, Shepard. The release for my mask is back there," Tali said quietly, but grasped his wrists when he almost jerked them away in a moment of mild panic. "No, it's okay. You know among my people to touch someone beneath the veil is considered a very intimate gesture. It's as close to skin to skin contact as we often get."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No," she said. "But I also was supposed to have gotten off three decks ago."

The door to the lift opened to reveal the small foyer that led to his cabin. He stepped out of the elevator and pulled her with him towards the door. At the quizzical cock of her head the spectre chuckled.

"It's still early in the morning and none of the ground team has slept all night. You were really going to go down to engineering and start working?"

"I'll be fine. There's work that needs to be done. The shield modifications-" she protested, but allowed herself to be pulled along into the cabin.

"Can wait for a few hours. The last few days have been less than pleasant. I think we've earned a short break," Shepard informed her.

He let go of Tali's wrist and tapped the control by the door bringing up the lights in the room and then lowered them back to about half strength. The bag with his armor was tossed on the floor next to his desk. A sound of amusement came from the quarian as she stood at the base of the small steps that led into his living area.

"Is this the same spectre that Garrus and I had to drag to his quarters after we found him face down in a stack of datapads at the mess hall table during the hunt for Saren because he wouldn't take a break?"

"See I can learn," he replied with a smirk.

"I guess you have. You even learned some khellish... you know might be the first human to ever actually speak our language, Shepard."

"Then it was definitely worth the hours I spent trying not to mess it up too badly."

They had slowly drifted closer as they spoke until hands were touching again, then a little closer, an arm around the shoulders, followed by the feeling of the cool surface of Tali's visor against his neck.

"You said you had help, though. Who could you have possibly gotten help from?" Tali asked, leaning into him once more. "And to think I almost decided we couldn't do this anymore because of an argument."

"Glad we settled that, at least. I don't want to start it again, either, but the one that actually helped me with the translation was Legion," Shepard said gently.

The quarian's head leaned back quickly to meet his eyes and he could feel the tension suddenly ripple through her muscles. After a few seconds she began to relax again, much to his relief.

"Really? I... guess it make sense. They are our creations and it would explain how you got such an old, traditional phrase. It just feels strange that of all the things on this ship you could turn to for advice..."

Shepard smiled and gave her shoulder a quick squeeze before stepping away. "It's like you said, so much was lost. Not many places to find that sort of information anymore. History, literature. It also reminds me that there is something I've been meaning to give you. I should have done it a long time ago, but everything just turned upside down. First your trial and everything that followed, then our whole argument."

"Give me? What are you talking about, Shepard?" she asked, silver eyes narrowing behind her mask. "That pistol you insisted on buying for me back on the Citadel was worth more than many young quarians' Pilgrimage gifts. I know Joker tried to explain human gift customs but I don't need things from you."

"I know, but this is a little different. Just take a seat on the couch," he ordered and knelt by his bed, reaching beneath it to retrieve a duffel bag, still carefully wrapped and sealed. "When I saw them I knew that I couldn't leave them behind."

Despite her protests Tali complied, taking a seat on the couch and peering intently at the item he held in his hands. Without further explanation he walked over to where she sat, kneeling down and placing the bag on the cushion next to where she sat before unzipping the duffel. Kasumi had done an excellent job of wrapping the rare items to keep them safe, layered in a wrap of thin, foam like plastic. Shepard pulled both tablets out, setting one down and handing the other to Tali.

"Here. I can never give you back even a fraction of what you've lost, but if anyone deserves something like this it's the woman that saved her entire race, and everyone else, on the Citadel," he said.

The tablets were hefty and he could see her surprise as she grabbed it with both hands. Resting it on her knees the quarian gripped the cushioning material and peeled it away, layer by layer, until the worn surface of the tablet was revealed. Unknown centuries had left the edges rounded and smooth, but the dark gray stone was amazingly well preserved and the thick khellish script was still easily legible. Shepard watched her intently to gauge her reaction. He knew that she'd gone without many things people took for granted in their lives. He hoped this would at least give her some small part of her people's history.

"Keelah!" Tali gasped, eyes wide and hands trembling as she glanced from the tablet to him. "Shepard... I... where did you get this?"

"Just before your trial. Donovan Hock had them in his private collection, he had priceless artifacts from every civilization... turian art, pieces of ancient earth, even krogan sculpture. I saw them and when everything fell apart I had to take them with me," he said and smiled. "I don't know what they say, I didn't seem right to show them to anyone else. But they looked ancient, a true piece of your people's history."

Tali didn't respond at first. Her finger traced the engraved words slowly, letter by letter, before resting the tablet carefully on her knees and unwrapping the other, doing the same with it. She continued to touch it, from the lettering to the edges, as if assuring herself it was real. As her silence grew longer Shepard began to worry.

"Is everything okay? I mean, I didn't commit some kind of sacrilege or something, did I?"

Another moment of silence, then the small light on her helmet lit up. "N-no. You didn't do anything wrong."

When he saw her shoulders shiver and heard the crack in her voice the spectre realized she was crying. Gently taking the tablet from her fingers he set it aside and made sure there was no danger of it falling or hitting the other one. He grasped her hands and squeezed.

"I didn't mean to make you cry, I thought it would be nice gift..." he trailed off.

She shook her head and laughed. "I'm not crying because I'm sad, Shepard... I just can't believe that after everything that's happened I'm sitting here touching a piece of my people's history. A piece of history you saved out of everything in that vault."

"Every other race in the galaxy can go home to see a piece of their history. Your people can't. I don't regret it for a moment," Shepard replied.

Suddenly he was wrapped in tightly squeezing quarian arms and he couldn't help but laugh as he caught her, falling backwards into a sitting position on the floor with his back against the small table in the center of the room.

"Thank you," she whispered, her helmet coming to rest against his forehead. A short growl of frustration came from her. "Damn this suit. You gave my people a piece of their history, I should at least be able to kiss you."

"I'd like nothing more," Shepard said, resting his hands lightly on her hips. "But we both know we can't. I won't risk your life. Maybe when this is finally all over you'll have time to do that research."

Strong fingers traced up his side of his neck until they brushed against his jaw, a days worth of stubble making a faint scratching sound against the material of Tali's suit as her fingers traced the lines of his face. In the months since he had awoken on the Cerberus station the scars on his face had healed, but they likely would never fade completely.

"I haven't given up yet, Shepard. Before we risk everything I need someone I care about to see my face, to see me."

He braced his back against the table and got his feet under him, hands sliding down to grab Tali's thighs. In one smooth motion he pushed himself up and lifted her with him. Her legs locked around his waist tightly in surprise. With a mischievous smirk he turned and sat down on the couch.

"I've always been able to see you, Tali, mask or no. It just took me awhile to admit it. Now why don't you tell me about these tablets," he said, leaning back on the couch and gently shifting Tali's position until she was sitting across his lap. With his other hand he lifted the first of the tablets and laid it across her knees.

The engineer touched the stone reverently once more, trailing her finger along the entire edge of the roughly rectangular shape before speaking.

"These aren't just old, they're ancient. To see something from before we lost our homeworld would have been shocking enough but tablets like these are over three thousand years old."

Shepard blinked. "Three... thousand? Hell, Tali, my people had barely begun to organize something resembling a civilization by that time. How can something so old be so well preserved."

"It's the stone. You didn't just find some random quarian writing, Shepard. This tablet is etched with passages from the Scroll of the Ancestors in a dialect so archaic I can barely read it. All those years ago our people found small deposits of this dark, amazingly hard stone that was almost impossible to scratch. When they were able to find pieces of the appropriate size our ancestors actually used a kind of very powerful acid from creatures called _esoc_ to etch writings into the stone."

"And because the hardness of the stone, they've survived all these years."

"Yes," she said with a nod. "Families that were lucky enough to have these etchings would often have ones that possessed parts of the Scroll that referenced something significant for their clan or profession. We were taught that these items were never hidden away... they were put on display, usually at the entrance to a home or a place of business."

"What about these?" the spectre asked, looking at the writing. The lines of each letter were thick and curving, in a way it reminded him of kanji from Earth's history.

"This one..." Tali began, trailing off as she read. "It's from part of the Scroll that mentions travelers and the necessity to give shelter and support to those without a clan-hold over their heads. Something you'd probably find at an inn or some other sort of place that would offer travelers a warm bed and a meal."

Shepard smiled, one hand idly stroking the small of Tali's back as she spoke. "Interesting, what about this other one?"

"I don't know, I'd reach for it but I'm rather comfortable here," Tali said in a voice that he would have sworn was almost a purr, pushing back against his hand.

Shaking his head he took the first tablet and set it aside, handing the other to the contented quarian in his lap. With the same care she took with the other Tali unwrapped the tablet fully and placed it on her knees, slowly reading the ancient script. She glanced at him, silver eyes narrowed and a snicker came from her voice modulator.

"Only you, Shepard."

"What?"

"It just brings up something I meant to tell you a long time ago. Do you remember when someone commented that you looked like a 'knight' in that new armor?" she asked.

"Yes... what does this have to do with the tablet?"

"Well, I was going to tell you that humans don't have a monopoly on the concept. In ancient times there was a concept called a _baelen'sor_. The closest equivalent to your world was like a... hm, Kasumi gave me a term. A ro-neen?"

"A ronin?" he supplied.

"Yes, that was it," Tali agreed. "They didn't serve any particular clan or leader, but they lived by a certain code. The _baelen'sor_ would cross the great plains helping people wherever they went. In return they only asked to be provided basic food and shelter or other simple necessities before moving on."

He nodded. "Sounds like a romanticized version of earth's ronin or a knight-errant. You still haven't told me what this has to do with the tablet."

"Well, this particular tablet contains the passage where the _baelen'sor_ got their name from," she explained, pointing to a particular word with a letter that looked something like a sideways 'e' with a little tail. She quoted the stone with a clear and reverent tone. "To serve, to guard a people and the places in between - wrong cannot rest, nor ill deed stand. So said the_ baelen'sor_."

"So there were quarian knights..."

"In all the galaxy you find this, almost as if the universe is trying to tell you something," Tali said and then tried to suppress a yawn.

"Well, m'lady, that may be but most it sounds like it's telling me someone needs to sleep. I don't even know how long we've been awake at this point."

Tali slowly slid from his lap and stood, stretching languidly while he followed suit. He unbuttoned the jacket of the outfit that Aria had given him, tossing it over the back of the couch casually, while next to him the engineer watched him.

"Thank you, Shepard, again. You can't know how much this gift means to me. I'll leave them in your care for now, I wouldn't want to risk damaging them," she said. "I guess we both should get some sleep. There's still a lot of work to be done."

Catching her wrist before she could move away, Shepard pulled the quarian back to him. "You know, Tali, after all we've shared I think you can call me John. And what did you plan, going back to the sleep in the pod?"

"It just seems so strange. At first you were my dashing commander," she teased. "Then you were Shepard. The only person I've ever heard even address you by your first name was Dr. Chakwas. And yes, I could take a nap in engineering but the pods are a little more comfortable."

"Guess we'll have to work on that," he said with a smile, taking a few steps towards the bed and still pulling Tali with him. Her motions were hesitant but she didn't resist. "And you don't have to go, Tali. Hell, I don't want you to go."

"I... this is a little different than falling asleep on your couch, S- John... and the crew..."

"Garrus already suspects, he's been giving me that 'I know something' look he gets when he's far too satisfied with himself... and if I had to guess Kasumi does too," the spectre replied, chuckling when he saw Tali start at the mention of the thief's name, confirming his suspicions. "You know as well as I do, people will always talk on a ship."

Tali laughed nervously. "That is very true. Quarians are natural gossips, but I think it extends to every race."

"Then let them, they're our friends anyways, eventually they're going to figure things out. So stay with me tonight instead of in a cramped sleeper pod."

As he spoke Tali had drawn closer until her knees almost brushed the bed. Her voice carried both her nervousness and a hint of amusement.

"Using those negotiation skills on me now?"

"Only with the best intentions," he grinned and pulled her down into his lap once more. "I'm not going to order you or anything of the sort if you really want to leave."

"I don't. W-want to leave that is," Tali said finally, relaxing against him and clearly trying to control that nervous stammer that always seemed to creep up when they entered new territory. "Maybe just for a little while..."

Snaking an arm around her waist he eased back onto the bed and let her slim form slide naturally into place next to him. Shepard moved his arm up her back until she was leaning against his shoulder. Silver eyes fluttered beneath the darkness of her visor and the tension slowly drained from her body. His hand traced slowly circles on her shoulder and he heard another yawn come from her modulator.

"This is much nicer than the pod," she murmured.

Shepard chuckled and reached out, tapping the control next to the bed, the lights fading until only the blue glow of the aquarium was left, bathing them both in dim blue light. He settled back until his head rested on the pillow and Tali shifted until the top of her veil was just beneath his chin.

"Goodnight, Miss vas Normandy," Shepard whispered.

* * *

Beep. Tali groaned quietly and tried to ignore whatever strange sound was interrupting her slumber. She was comfortable and amazingly warm, which seemed entirely natural to her semi-awakened state. Beep. Another small sound of dissatisfaction and she turned, pressing against the source of the warmth, trying to hide her head against the irritating sound. Beep. The quarian blinked rapidly to clear her fuzzy vision, brain finally starting to function normally.

She fully woke and felt her face flush, realizing that she had managed to completely work her head under Shepard's arm trying to escape the sound in addition to soaking up the warm his body provided. It was so different than the sleeper pod. The pods were never cold, but never warm either. Just an unchanging temperature that was enough to keep it from bothering the sleeping individual. Beep. Tali slowly, and reluctantly, wiggled free of the human's arm and propped herself up. It was her omni-tool paging her... wait, no, it was Shepard's omni-tool. EDI would have woke him if it was an emergency, but clearly someone needed his attention.

"Shepard."

He grunted and shifted, arm flexing around the form that was no longer there. It was different seeing him asleep. He didn't have the same look as he did when he was awake... more relaxed, it made her regret disturbing him. Still, Tali knew he'd be unhappy if someone needed help and he slept through it.

"Shepard!" she said more loudly and gave his shoulder a shove.

Unlike her slow climb into wakefulness, Shepard went from one state to the other in an instant. He sat up, almost knocking her over in his haste, shaking his head as he scanned the room and tried to focus. Tali caught herself, grabbing one of his arms and shifting herself, but was surprised by the suddenness of his action. The muscles of his arm under her hand were corded and tight, slowly relaxing when his eyes focused and saw her.

"Tali... I..." he muttered, shaking his head again.

Glancing over she realized that his other hand that was against the side of the bed gripped a predator heavy pistol that he'd drawn from somewhere. Probably from beneath the frame, she guessed.

"Shepard... John, it's okay. You're just getting a page on your omni-tool," Tali said gently. "I thought you wouldn't want to miss it."

The spectre set the pistol on the table next to the bed and hit the button to answer, his voice gruff.

"Shepard."

Miranda's voice answered. "Commander. Apologies for disturbing you, but we've had some issues with the armor installation that need your attention."

"Of course. I'll be down shortly," Shepard said, rubbing his eyes for a moment before disconnecting the conversation. Meeting her gaze he frowned in concern. "I'm sorry. I've been alone a long time, Tali. I should have thought of that when I asked you to stay with me. I... didn't hurt you or anything did I?"

Tali trailed her fingers down his arm and smiled even though he couldn't see it. "It's okay, I was just a little startled. I didn't even realize you kept a gun in your cabin."

"Two, actually," he corrected, capturing her hand before it could finish its run down his arm. Human fingers intertwined with hers, their mismatched number of digits making it look almost comical. "There's another one in a holster under my desk, just beneath the terminal."

"You don't feel safe even here?"

"When I woke up I was in Cerberus' hands. I always wondered that if I pushed hard enough they'd decide I wasn't worth the investment after all. If that happened I wanted to at least make sure I didn't go quietly."

"I'll just have to remember to wake you up more gently next time," the engineer said.

Shepard grinned and brought her hand to his lips, pressing them against her finger tips. "Hmm, next time, I like the sound of that. It's been a long time since I slept that soundly truth be told."

"Well, it was much nicer than the sleeper pod. I wouldn't mind doing it again if you were..." she began.

"Anytime, Tali. Any night. Every night, if that's what you want," Shepard finished for her.

Once again she found her cheeks burning. Hearing someone talk like that, especially about her, was still more than she was able to easily accept gracefully. It was always a war between her embarrassment and the surge of warmth that seemed to fill her chest.

"Okay... maybe I could be persuaded to stay. But shouldn't you be getting down to the CIC before Miranda has a... what was that phrase Garrus used before? 'Has a cat'?"

Shepard chuckled and stood. "That's what I get for teaching Garrus human slang. He probably doesn't even know what a cat is."

"Are cats those Earth animals? Feathers, long bill, webbed feet? Go 'quack'?"

Shepard looked at her with a bemused stare and shook his head. "No, Tali. Those are ducks. Cats are four legged furry predators that humans often kept as pets. Have you been reading up on Earth?"

She shuffled her feet at the edge of the bed. "A little. I guess you can't trust everything you find on the extranet."

"Very true. I'm going to go see what crisis Miranda has discovered, I guess I'll find you in engineering if I need you?"

"Yes. I have... something I need to take care of first, but after that I have to help Ken and Gabby make sure all these upgrades are proceeding on schedule."

"The Normandy will be ready on time. I've got the best team in the galaxy on it," Shepard responded with a smile that made that same warm feeling creep up again as they exited his cabin and stepped into the elevator. When it stopped at the CIC and the doors hissed open he met her gaze. "Remember, Tali... the door is never locked for you."

"I will."

With that he was gone. Before the doors closed she saw Miranda standing near the cockpit with a dataslate in hand, apparently in a heated conversation with Joker of all people. She reached out and pressed the button for the crew deck and took a deep breath. There were things she needed to do. This one she wanted to get out of the way now before she talked herself out of it.

When the doors opened she was surprised to see Thane standing there, waiting. The drell inclined his head at her.

"Tali'Zorah."

"Good morning, Thane. Is everything okay? I don't usually see you leaving the crew deck," Tali said and stepped out of the way, trading places with the assassin.

"Wrong? No. I am assisting Mr. Taylor in his work in the armory. It seems the Commander's continually growing collection of weaponry is becoming something of an organizational nightmare. He decided that while the Normandy is under-going upgrades it would be an excellent opportunity to tackle the task."

She laughed. "He is something of a hoarder."

"Indeed," Thane smiled. "If he has managed to acquire any new shotguns that previously went unnoticed I will make a note to inform you."

"Thank you."

He nodded once more and the door closed. The momentary distraction was over and she turned, walking with determined steps towards the medbay and through the doors. Chakwas was sitting inside at her terminal, looking up at the quarian's entrance.

"Hello, Tali. Is there something you need?"

The engineer shook her head. "No, but thank you, Doctor. There is someone else here I need to see."

Looking somewhat confused Chakwas' gaze followed her as she passed and activated the door controls to the AI core. Taking a final deep breath she stepped inside and shut the door behind her. There, standing at the other end of the room staring at a terminal was the object of her quest. The geth.

The reddish light that bathed the room did little to assuage her fears or cast the machine in a more favorable light and she instantly wished she'd requested the geth's presence somewhere else instead of here, a room she'd never even entered before. For a moment she considered backing out of the room, regrouping her thoughts. Then it spoke.

"Does Creator-Tali'Zorah require assistance?"

She felt her breathing speed up, adrenaline making her heart rate increase and muscles tighten as it turned the glowing blue optic towards her. There was a pistol on the magnetic strip at her back, the geth wasn't armed. She could draw her weapon and fire before it had a chance to react. Tell Shepard that it had attacked her. He'd question it but he'd believe her, Tali knew.

A sound of disgust at her own thoughts passed her lips. Shepard had ignored every preconception and stigma against her people when he'd invited her to join his crew. He'd trusted her in everything, his life, even the parts of him that he didn't share with anyone. And now she was thinking of lying to him to justify shooting this geth?

It turned towards her and took a step forward. "Creator?"

"Stop," Tali said, holding up a hand. The geth halted.

"We have no hostile intentions. This platform is unarmed, Creator."

"You keep calling me that, why?" she demanded

The flaps that ringed the machine's optic fluttered. Every movement caused her body's panic response to trigger again, but she suppressed the urge. This thing was part of the crew now, Shepard felt that the geth could be allies against the Reapers and as much as she might prefer to ignore its existence she new eventually they would come into contact. She had to face her trepidation now before it caused her to act rashly again.

A brief pause proceeded the machine's response. "As previously stated the quarian race created the geth. Creator-Tali'Zorarh is of the quarian species."

"My people made the geth centuries ago. I've never even seen my homeworld thanks to you. I didn't create anything."

"This is correct. But your species is the reason geth exist and continue to evolve. It is for this reason that we refer to all quarians as Creators."

"Fine. Call us whatever you please. I came here... I came here to..." Tali sighed and trailed off, unsure of exactly why she had come. To prove that it was dangerous? To show that she wasn't afraid of it?

"The Creators believe all geth to be hostile. Creator-Tali'Zorah fears that this platform of geth seeks infiltration for the purposes of sabotage against Normandy-vessel and Shepard-Commander's mission."

Her eyes widened faintly in surprise. A hostile geth she was prepared for, even a cold, calculating machine intelligence. That intelligence being perceptive wasn't among the scenarios she'd imagined in her head.

Nodding, she agreed. "Yes. Geth made my people a dying race, drifting among the stars. They assisted the Reapers and fought us at every turn during the hunt for Saren. You say they were some other faction, but how do we know you're telling the truth?"

"Intentional disinformation is not a standard method of operation. Geth do not 'infiltrate'. This terminal of geth, called Legion by Shepard-Commander, seeks to establish cooperative relations with Shepard-Commander and other organic species against the Old Machines," the geth stated. "We do not bear 'ill will' towards organics or the Creators."

"If that's true then why have you hidden behind the Veil for three hundred years while geth destroyed Eden Prime and attacked others," she hissed. "You say you don't hate us, but you took our entire civilization away from us and then disappeared."

"In every instance where Creators possessed a tactical or numerical advantage they attacked. Peaceful co-existed was determined to be impossible."

She wanted to tell the machine that it lied. That her people would have listened if the geth had offered a truce, but after her trial she knew it wasn't true. Some, like Korris, might have entertained the idea but the majority could never see the geth as anything other than the destroyers. The entire trial had been a political ploy to push the Flotilla closer or further away from war to reclaim their home.

"Shepard believes that you're telling the truth, everything about these heretics and the geth standing against the Reapers," Tali said finally. "He has always been good at judging people and I won't make the same mistake as my ancestors and deny that the geth are sentient lifeforms."

"The geth have provided only factual information. We will stand with Shepard-Commander against the Old Machines. We will build our own future," Legion said plainly.

"Maybe. But he trusts you for some reason. It's just his way. But if you betray us, him, I will melt you down into scrap," Tali threatened.

She was surprised to see the geth incline its head much like Thane had earlier. "The geth will not betray the trust of Shepard-Commander or Creator-Tali'Zorah."

"Good."

The geth continued to look at her and she stared at its metallic form with equal intensity. She noticed the little differences between this platform and the others they'd encountered, not to mention the large hole in it's chest or the N7 armor that it had used to partially repair the damage. She forced down a faint feeling of anger at the fact that the matte black and red-trimmed armor almost certainly once belonged to Shepard. After almost a minute of silence she turned, opened the door, and left the room.

Chakwas was still sitting in her chair when she emerged, watching her. When the door shut behind her Tali felt her muscles relax and let go of a deep breath she'd been holding. The silver-haired doctor stood and walked over to her, a faint smile on her face.

"Good. I was afraid I'd have to call Shepard soon. I didn't hear anything explode," Chakwas said.

"No. I just needed to see it. I can't pretend it doesn't exist."

"It was brave of you. Most people can't face their fears quite so directly."

She laughed. "Most people haven't served on the Normandy. Being here tends to make you afraid of a lot less than most people."

"Very true. Shepard seems to have a knack for finding things that make your previous fears seem rather inconsequential," the doctor agreed. "So is everything alright now?"

"Better. I don't know if I'll ever be comfortable with a geth on the ship and..." Tali said and bit her lip, glancing around the medbay. "There is something else I need to ask you about. Something... uhm... medical."

The silver-haired woman's brows raised, but her smile was kind. "Of course. Come, sit down and tell me what you need to know."

* * *

"Aye now, Commander, I never quite expected ye to be the type to be down 'ere with us grease-monkeys," Donnelly said, wiping his hands on a rag and then using that same rag to wipe a layer of sealant off the pipe he was leaning against.

"Every pair of hands gets the work done that much faster," Shepard replied.

He gave a grunt and popped a power regulator free of its seating, lifting the heavy device free and setting it on the ground. Using a rag of his own he did a quick sweep of the area he'd just removed it from before turning to the newer model on the floor next to him. The other man moved to help but he waved him away, lifting and dropping it into place in one smooth motion.

It had been nearly a week and their time utilizing Aria's shipyard was coming to an end. What they had accomplished was impressive, all things considered. A great deal of work had been done before the docks, but the final pieces had fallen into place perfectly. The last of the new armor had been attached and tested yesterday while Tali's shield upgrades were even now being slowly brought on line.

"Besides," he continued, reaching beneath the regulator's housing and connecting the various heavy power couplings by hand. "I might not be able to make a circuit board perform pinpoint FTL jumps with a rubber band and a few DC current batteries like a certain quarian but I did grow up on starships."

"Ignore him, sir. He's just afraid that you'll realize how little work he does if you're down here actually observing," Gabby said.

"'Ey now, woman! I'll have ye know that I 'ave put blood sweat an' tears into the Normandy here. She's my darling girl," the other engineer said with exaggerated offense.

"Ugh. If you start comparing the ship to 'Mee-randa' again I'm going to leave you to finish all the work. And I'm going to tell Tali that it was you that left that can of lubricant next to her console without the top on it."

Shepard shook his head at the woman's imitation of Donnelly's accent and the constant back and forth between the two engineers. He had once heard Kasumi say that the two of them were perfect for each other but they were both to blind to see it. Well, he certainly could. They sounded like they'd already been married for half their lives.

Donnelly held up grease stained hands in surrender. "Dun be getting vicious now. That slip of a lass can be 'ell on wheels when her spirits are up. And I figure I ought to be thanking ye, Commander. Dun rightly know what ye done for the woman but she 'as been far more agreeable this week than she was the last. Thought she was going ta take that boot knife to me on a couple occasions before."

"Kenneth!"

A laugh escaped his lips at the scandalized tone of her voice. He supposed that the fact that Tali's near nightly absence from her usual sleeping pod on the hot-bunking rotation hadn't gone as unnoticed as he'd thought. Standing and wiping his hands his work pants Shepard smiled at Donnelly.

"Just enjoy it while it lasts. Tali is always happiest when she has a project. Soon as these upgrades are done she'll be bored again and watching your every move, Ken."

"Bloody 'ell," the other man muttered.

"You'll survive, Donnelly. Now I think we're done here. What else needs replacing?" Shepard asked.

"Umm, actually, sir... that's everything. EDI just needs to run the power feed tests to make sure we don't have any bad connections," Gabby said. "Those couplings you picked up on Tuchanka are going to save us hundreds of hours of maintenance too."

"Time to celebrate," Donnelly grinned. "Tell me, Commander, are ye familiar with a little game called Skyllian Five?"

* * *

A few hours later found a far cleaner engineering crew sitting around a table that had been set up in the hangar and engaging in a game of trickery, deceit, and intimidation. Which effectively translated into every gambling card game humans had ever invented.

"I'll raise... fifty creds," Garrus said, tossing two blue chips into the pot with a clatter of plastic on plastic.

"Don't splash the pot!" Kasumi scolded. "Especially with such an obvious bluff."

The turian snorted. "Bluff? You wish, thief."

Donnelly shook his head and folded. "To rich for my blood. You lot are crazy."

"Being around Shepard has a tendency to do that to you after awhile," Tali quipped and pushed her own cards face down into the center of the table. "I'm still not entirely clear on this game, but I'm pretty sure playing those would be bad."

"How am I getting blamed for this?" he asked, looking around the table.

When Donnelly had suggested a game of Skyllian Five in celebration of their completed upgrades while they waited for EDI to finish her system checks Shepard had went along. Gabby had decided to sit out, commenting that she didn't have Ken's single minded drive for the game. By the time they had finished the preparations, however, they had managed to convince Tali to join, quickly followed by Garrus, while Kasumi had simply appeared when they were almost ready.

Zaeed had watched for awhile, but commented that they couldn't afford the kind of stakes he liked. Something about if nobody was willing to shoot you for the pot then it wasn't really a game. The lack of any overt violence had quickly bored both Grunt and Jack as well. As for himself, well, he had learned quite a few things in the span of the game. One of them being that playing with a girl that wore an opaque mask was downright unwise. The other was that Mordin was entirely too good at math.

"Only logical. Attract individuals, dangerous situations. You are focal point, everyone else follows. Everyone else says crazy. I say 'inspiring leader'," the salarian stated and folded as well, shaking his head. "Probabilities of this number of consecutive unplayable hands very low. Possibly once in lifetime circumstances."

"Thanks, I think," he replied. "And it's between you two, because I am not paying that kind of money to see if Garrus is lying his face paint off."

"He is," Kasumi chirped.

"Well put your money where your mouth is," Garrus replied, leaning back in his chair. "Just you and me now."

The human thief shrugged and looked down at her chips, casually tossing twice the number of chips in that Garrus had, grinning all the while. "Back at ya, Big G."

"Hrmph," the turian grunted and pushed in all of his remaining chips.

When Kasumi did the same he saw her opponents right mandible twitch, forcing Shepard to suppress a chuckle. She'd be right, he was bluffing. And she had called it. With great flourish the thief flipped up her cards.

Garrus cursed and tossed his hand on top of the pot. "Damn!"

"She really does have your number, Garrus," Shepard said. "And here I thought you said humans could never read turian facial expressions."

"Beginners luck," the former C-sec officer grumbled.

Donnelly laughed. "Beginners my arse. My own commanding officer has robbed me at least a weeks pay. 'Oh, take it easy on the newbie' he says."

"Deception center of all conflict. Even small conflict. With plastic cards," Mordin stated.

Shepard held up his hands. "It's getting late, people. We're going to take the Normandy out of dock tomorrow for the final systems shakedowns. Time to call it here I think."

"Just when I was getting ready to make a comeback too," Donnelly sighed.

"How were you going to do that? You only had four of the red chips left. Aren't these blue ones worth more?" Tali asked, playing with the stack of at least half a dozen blue chips.

The other engineer scowled. "Play'n innocent with me, ye know exactly how much they are worth. Worse than the Commander even!"

Her response was only a light laugh. The players each stood, passing their cards around until the deck was whole once more. From beneath the table came a rumble as Urz's nap was disturbed by everyone daring to move. The hefty varren had spent the better part of the evening alternating between sleeping on his feet or Tali's and occasionally emerged from beneath the table to see if he could beg a snack from one of the players.

Garrus helped him pack up the table and store it in the corner of the hanger, meeting his eye as the moved to rejoin the others. "We're in fighting shape now, Boss. Guess this means no more chasing Collectors around."

"No. We're done chasing them."

"Just leaves going for the heart."

"I know. I just hope we're ready," the spectre said.

"We are," Garrus assured him. "We've got the best team the galaxy has ever seen. The nastiest little warship anyone has ever thought of putting together. And we've got the one man the Reapers feared so much they sent a dreadnought to kill. It doesn't get much more ready than that."

"Not the kind of mission they tend to advertise for the media, though. Makes me wonder if everyone will realize just what they've gotten themselves into now that we're at the final hour."

"They know, Shepard. We all know."

Shepard smiled at his friend. They both knew their chances were slim. But it would be a cold day in hell before they let that stop them. One way or the other, the Collectors would know that this crew at least wasn't content to give up without a fight.


	32. Chapter 31

"Dampeners online. Disengaging docking clamps."

The Normandy shuddered faintly underfoot, Joker's fingers dancing across the glowing haptic interface like a master musician caressing the ivory keys of a piano. Just like that instrument the ship responded to each touch.

"Weapons, online and safe. Primary cooling systems active."

Shepard stood in the cockpit behind the pilot. Pulsating guidance lights ran along the insides of the dry dock, pointing them out into space. From Joker's ear-piece he heard repeated calls of 'all-green' from across the ship's stations.

"Primary drive system is engaged."

Resting a hand on the back of Joker's chair he smiled. "Take us out, Mr. Moreau."

Even with the dampeners the ship seemed to shift slightly with a lurch forward, powerful engines pushing the sleek form of the Normandy out of the dry dock and into space, all repairs and upgrades completed a solid half-day ahead of schedule. The sensation of acceleration disappeared almost immediately as the mass effect fields compensated and Joker glanced back at him sheepishly.

"Armor makes her a little heavier, over-compensated a tiny bit," the pilot said.

"I think it can be forgiven, I promise not to tell anyone," Shepard said.

"Much appreciated. I wouldn't want the crew to think I'm a mere mortal. Might hurt morale," Joker replied.

He gave a laugh and shook his head. "Can't have that. Tell me how she handles, we've got work to do."

"Collectors?"

"Not quite yet. Seems we have one more errand to run first, which works out well. I want to make sure the Normandy is fully ready before we take her straight down the Collectors' throats," Shepard informed him, thinking of the conversation he'd had with Legion the previous evening after the poker game.

"The girl is ready for anything, Commander," Joker stated. His confidence in the ship was absolute. "We've turned one of the most advanced warships in Alliance into something that's never been seen. We've got the firepower and durability of a cruiser, without losing the speed of a frigate."

"All at the cost of a dreadnought," he said wryly.

"Due to the unique nature of the Normandy's construction and the acquisition of the more specialized components this is not technically true, Commander. If built in a traditional shipyard, though, this would likely change," EDI interjected.

At Joker's frown, he couldn't help but laugh again. "Just make sure she's good to go. And test the stealth systems. We're going to need them."

"Aye aye, Commander," Joker said.

The AI responded as well. "The ship is operating a full capacity according to all sensors. I need to synchronize the Reaper IFF with the ship's systems before we attempt to utilize it to enter the Omega 4 Relay, however."

"Sounds good. I need us ready to hit the relay in two hours," he ordered, leaving the cockpit.

Not three steps later he could already hear some minor squabble breaking out between AI and pilot. One day the two of them would have to learn to work together more peacefully. Shepard's intention had been to take the lift to engineering, but Kelly waylaid him before he could quite achieve his goal. The yeoman was as cheerful as always, something that continued to amaze him. What the regular crew did wasn't nearly as stressful or mentally taxing as being part of the ground team but the woman had a positively unnatural degree of pep.

"Commander. You've received a few new messages, but nothing flagged as urgent. And I must say, you seem to be in a far better state of mind over the past week," Chambers said.

"Things are going as planned. I consider than an improvement over business as usual, Kelly."

"Ever the cynic."

"Realist," he countered.

"A matter of degrees, but I will concede that you have more reason than most to feel that way. I wanted to say, pitching in to complete the upgrades with the rest of the crew was very good for morale."

"Did we have a problem with morale before that I wasn't aware of?" the spectre asked with a frown.

"No, no. But a great many of the crew do feel somewhat disconnected from what you do. They only hear about what goes on planet-side second or third hand, and while their role is important it doesn't quite compare to the bond that clear exists between members of your combat squad," the yeoman explained. "But your willingness to step into what many officers would consider a much more menial role definitely helped establish a much stronger feeling of unity among the crew."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it, even if it wasn't my original intention."

"What, just bored?" Kelly asked.

He shrugged. "Not the type to sit around while other people work. And spending some time doing mechanical work is simple, far less taxing than what I usually do on a regular basis. I spent years aboard starships. It just seems normal."

"Ah. A rare commodity in the past years. You know..."

"I know," he said with a smile, holding up his hand. "If I want to talk I know where to find you. But I think I'll manage."

"Of course, Commander. Oh, I almost forgot. Mordin asked to see you. Said it was a medical matter that he wanted to discuss with you. He didn't stress it as an emergency but I get the feeling he'd rather see you sooner rather than later," Kelly informed him.

"I was heading to the engineering deck but I've got time for a brief detour. And if you want to psychoanalyze something, try EDI and Joker," Shepard suggested, heading towards the lab. "One of them is going to go crazy one of these days and my money is on Joker."

The yeoman gave him a bemused smirk and a shake of her head as he left, walking down the hall towards the laboratory that Mordin had made his permanent residence for all extents and purposes. Opening the door he found the salarian pouring over another seemingly endless stream of data that was flowing across multiple screens far more rapidly than he could follow with even a modicum of comprehension. Mordin looked up at his entrance and smiled.

"Ah, Shepard. Very good. Perfect timing, currently batching data. Will give approximately four and a half minutes to talk."

"Wouldn't want to interfere with your schedule, doc. Kelly said you needed to see me?" he asked.

"Indeed. One moment," Mordin said, and pressed a button on his omni-tool, causing the doors to beep faintly. "Installed remote access to door lock, provides privacy. Also removed monitoring devices when originally arrived. Cerberus not terribly subtle in regards to observation, but incredibly persistent. Seventeen separate devices."

"I'm not surprised. I had Tali give my quarters a once over, so I think anything that was there is gone now. Miranda says so at least, and I think we've come to a point when we can finally trust each other," Shepard laughed.

"Very good. Monitoring devices not unexpected. Still, quite annoying. Now. Had medical matter wanted to discuss with you," the salarian said, motioning for Shepard to sit and taking up a perch on the opposite stool. He waited patiently, fingers steepled together before him and elbows on the desk.

Shepard arched an eyebrow at the doctor's even stranger than usual manner but took the offered seat and spread his hands. "I'm all ears. What medical matter?"

"Hrm. Aware that mission is dangerous, high risk. Different species react to stress in different manners," Mordin said.

"Okay..."

"Realize that as mammalian based species with similar cultural moors and past history, dalliance with Tali'Zorah seems attractive as stress relief. Must advise caution, however, as quarian immune system extremely fragile and unpredictable. Severe allergic reaction can be fatal."

A rapid fire chain of thoughts and emotions ran through his mind, the first being complete shock as the statement few from far left field. The rush of anger at the word 'dalliance' as if Tali was some sort of distraction, followed by a wave of pensiveness with the mention of her immune system. He fixed the scientist with a hard, level gaze, fingers curled tightly around the edge of the desk with enough force to make his knuckles go white.

"Well, since apparently I am more terrible at keeping secrets than I thought I will tell you this once, Mordin: Tali is not a dalliance or stress relief or a instinctual reaction to some strange stimuli. She is a great deal more than that to me and I don't want to hear her spoken of like that."

Mordin held up his hands in the universal gesture of surrender. "Apologies. Did not mean to offend, Shepard, merely thinking in scientific terms. Connotation inappropriate to your relationship with Ms. Zorah. Have found you to be an individual of strong convictions. Would never dream of accusing you of taking advantage of situation. Merely wanted to offer assistance and state willingness to provide medical aid if necessary."

"Okay. Sorry, that might have sounded a little harsh. Gut reaction," Shepard explained with a frown. "And I'm all too aware of the consequences of Tali being with me. I have told her more than once that I don't want to risk her health."

"Understand. But have observed both yourself and Tali'Zorah. Engineer one of least likely companions in such high risk, extremely violent mission such as this, yet is one of the most dedicated and willful crew members. Suspect that she will not accept safety over opportunity for more," Mordin said and then smirked. "Especially considering recent acquisition of anti-septic and sterilization gel in excess of typical amounts needed for regular suit function."

He blinked. "I'm... really not sure what to say. She said she would research ways to make removing her mask safe but I don't want to take unnecessary risks."

"Life full of unnecessary risks, Shepard. Is what is referred to as 'living'. Salarian life-cycle short, learn to appreciate moments. Life of those who put themselves in harms way for others often equally, and tragically, short. Do not waste opportunity for happiness."

"Would never have pegged you for an old romantic, Mordin. Since you asked to speak to me I'm also assuming you have some information of a more medical nature to share as well?" Shepard said with a faint smile.

"Salarian reproductive drive not based on same drives as mammalian races. But concept of companionship, love, friendship? These appear to be universal," the scientist said quietly, nodding. "And yes. Medical advice. Wait."

Opening his omni-tool once more the salarian typed rapidly, seemingly looking for a number of items before pressing a final button. A moment later Shepard's own omni-tool beeped, receiving a rather large data packet from one M. Solus. What exactly was he being sent that made up a noticeable amount of his omni-tool's on board memory?

"Recommend self-sterilization. Of skin of course, not in reproductive sense. Differing base chirality makes oral contact with tissue inadvisable, though upon review of your enhancements any reaction on your part unlikely. Also forwarded advice booklet. Valuable diagrams, positions comfortable for both species, erogenous zones overview, though similar physiology extremely helpful in case of... hrm 'winging it'," Mordin explained, looking rather pleased with himself. "Oh. Also uploaded electronic aid relationship vids to EDI to use as necessary. Can supply oils or ointments to use as necessary to reduce any discomfort, have fairly reasonable supply safe for both species."

Shepard merely sat and stared dumbly at the salarian for a few long moments. Finally when his brain caught up this mouth, he spoke.

"You're joking, right?"

He actually looked mildly offended at the spectre's words. "Shocking allegation! Doctor patient relationship a sacred trust. Would not dream of mockery!"

"Okay, okay," Shepard laughed. "I don't even want to know where you found all of that. Thank you for the consideration, though, and the advice. Both medical and otherwise."

"Of course, Shepard. Glad to help. Remember what I said. Enjoy life. Moments. I will be here studying cellular reproduction. Simpler. Less alcohol and mood music required."

"I will."

The salarian was still smiling when he left, returning to his studies once more. For his part the spectre had one more mission to organize before they reached the point of no return. He could only hope that there would be time for those moments that Mordin spoke of.

* * *

"I can't believe I agreed to this," Tali said in agitation, tapping her foot in the elevator. The device seemed to always take forever to reach its destination, something that occasionally was nice, but at other times was nothing short of maddening.

"I won't force you to go, Tali. I'm just asking you," Shepard replied. "You're my geth expert. I need you with me on this one. If Legion is right the virus these heretic geth are working on could convert all of the geth to their cause."

And that, of course, was why she'd agreed. As much as she disliked the idea of working with Legion there was no way she could turn Shepard down when he asked her that. In retrospect it was also a good decision anyways, Tali knew that she would have to interact with Legion eventually on a mission and the idea of sending Shepard off alone onto a station filled with geth, with only another one as backup wasn't something she was willing to do.

"And Garrus can't come because of something to do with internal sensors. Your environment suit mutes your readings and Legion, well, he's a geth. It said that alone I'd be an anomaly, but with someone else giving off heat even the scrambling wouldn't be enough to disguise us," the spectre continued.

Some of the annoyance fled her tone as she lightly touched Shepard's arm. "I already said yes, Shepard. You don't have to keep convincing me."

"Sorry, sometimes I go from endearing persistence to paranoid obsession," Shepard said with a lop-sided smirk.

It was the same one she'd seen when they first met in the Wards what seemed like so long ago. Since that day a great deal had changed. Then Shepard had been self-assured almost to the point of over-confidence and utterly convinced in righteousness of their mission. She had been learning just what life outside the Flotilla was like. Now the soldier had become the reborn hero, cracks in his weathered exterior showing the inner turmoil beneath more readily than in those old days. And a naive young quarian had learned a lifetime's worth of lessons in just over two short years.

The chain of events was more than a little unbelievable when she stopped long enough to actually think about it. Tali had learned the basics of survival and combat from her quarian instructors. But she had been educated in the art of close combat by a krogan battlemaster, learning to handle pistol and shotgun with such familiarity that they seemed extensions of herself. In a moment of immodesty she realized she probably had more combat experience and capability than most marines in the Flotilla. Now the engineer was about to be the first quarian to set foot in a geth installation since the Morning War. A mission she was doing with another geth platform and a man, a human at that, that was the being she was closest to in the galaxy.

"Okay, it was a bad joke, I acknowledge that," the aforementioned human said, interrupting her thoughts.

Tali shook her head. "It wasn't that. I was just thinking... I never would have expected to be here two years ago. All my life I expected to go on my Pilgrimage and try to bring back a gift that would finally impress my father. Then I'd join a respectable ship, become an engineer, maybe even chief engineer eventually."

"Fighting a proxy war against genocidal extra-galactic space robots wasn't exactly in my life plan either," Shepard pointed out, smirk still in place. "And you are chief engineer of the Normandy which I like to think is a very respectable ship."

"That's not what I meant!" she replied, adding a jab to his ribs for good measure. They walked through the CIC, heading towards the cockpit where Joker was guiding the Normandy. Picking up on something else Shepard had said she cocked her head in his direction.

"What was your plan?"

"Hmm?"

Tali prodded him again as they came to a stop behind Joker's chair. Outside the blue aura surrounded the ship, indicating they were still in FTL. "Your plan. If you hadn't become a spectre, hunted Saren, met... all of us."

"I don't know," he answered honestly. Shepard didn't look at her, rather his gaze seemed to be focused on the starry void outside the Normandy. "My rank as an N7 was as high as most special forces soldiers reach and it wasn't even something I strove for. Maybe I would have finally retired, discovered what normal people do. Or maybe they'd finally have sent me on a mission I wouldn't have come back from."

Behind her mask she frowned. "That's not much of a plan, Shepard."

"You know me, I like to wing it. And after Akuze I just spent all my time becoming a better soldier..." the spectre trailed off with a shrug.

"Shepard-Commander. Creator. Our estimate predicts we will be within visual range of the station momentarily," Legion said, interrupting their conversation and causing Tali to start. She was somewhat proud of herself when her hand didn't immediately drop to the weapon on her hip.

As predicted the Normandy gave a faint shiver as the mass effect core deactivated and the ship returned to normal speed. Outside no planets or suns were readily visible, only distance stars. Directly ahead of them lay their objective, floating in the darkness of space: a space station of considerable size and controlled by the geth that Legion labeled as the 'heretics'.

Joker looked over his shoulder at the geth. "You know that the stealth system is just for sensors, right? All they have to do is look out a window and see us."

"Geth do not use windows. They are a structural weakness," Legion stated.

"Of course the damn flashlight heads don't use windows," the pilot muttered, rolling his eyes. "How silly of me."

The synthetic continued unperturbed by Joker's sarcasm. "We will gain access from the point indicated on your viewscreen, Joker-Moreau. Counter-measures have already begun to disrupt communications among the enemy platforms."

"I thought you couldn't hack geth?" Shepard asked. "Wasn't the whole point of this to destroy the one thing capable of doing that?"

"No hacking is taking place. We are simply flooding their system with billions of terabytes of unintelligible data. The majority of the heretic runtimes will download into primary cores to sort the data," the synthetic explained.

Tali nodded. "Of course. They won't be able to sort of good data from bad and their programming will put data organization at a top priority."

"Right. Not gonna pretend to know what exactly is going on, that's why I just fly the ship. Next stop, creepy windowless geth station," Joker said.

The Normandy pulled alongside the facility, establishing a seal with an airlock without incident. Legion was first into the airlock. She found herself hesitating at the threshold. The geth's presence made her agitated, if not outright angry, and the idea of being in a confined space with it didn't help matters. Even if it was infuriatingly polite. Behind her Tali head Shepard snap the seals shut on his own helmet even as she ground her teeth at the door to the lock. Then the young quarian felt a hand lightly touch the small of her back, the red-slitted visor of Shepard's helmet looking at her, and the tension faded slightly. She could do this. It was one geth.

"Good?" he asked.

She stepped into the airlock and Shepard followed, shutting the door and beginning the cycle.

"Yes."

"Then let's blow up a whole lot of geth, hm?" the spectre said.

The sequence completed and the door opened, revealing a dimly lit, featureless corridor. Their geth companion stepped out without hesitation, the two of them following more carefully. Shepard tapped the side of his helmet and she nodded, flicking on the internal radio.

Shepard chuckled. "Let me guess, geth don't need lights either?"

"Affirmative. Our optics are capable of unimpeded navigation in up to 87% less visible light than your species or 62% less than the Creators," Legion said.

"You mean quarians can see better than in the dark than humans?" the spectre asked.

"Problems, Shepard? I can tell you where we're going if you need help," she teased. "I forgot that your people's vision inferior to ours in the dark."

He made a faint huffing sound and shook his head. "They're not inferior. They're better than twenty-twenty and they're blue!"

"We do not understand the relevance of pigmentation color in the comparison of visual acuity," Legion said.

"He's just jealous."

"Well my 'inferior optics' are still taking point, stick with me you two," Shepard said.

She nodded and activated her shotgun, the heavy weight of the weapon familiar in her hand. It took her a moment to realize that she had actually just exchanged in what amounted to banter with a geth. Shepard's utterly casual acceptance made it all seem normal.

Gravity inside the station was light, approximately half what they normally experienced on the Normandy, making their steps light and quick. Despite her initial fear that for some unfathomable reason Legion had led them here to be ambushed by a swarm of lurking geth, not so much as a single platform was seen. It was interesting to note that there was a thin layer of dust across most of surfaces within the station, the geth didn't seem terribly interested in tidiness. Shepard broke the silence after they passed through another empty corridor.

"There is a lot of space in this thing, why did the geth build it with so many corridors and rooms? Isn't that inefficient?"

"Station was not built by geth. Originally designed and built by Creators, but modified after the Morning War. Major internal modifications were made to improve the overall design of the station to better streamline operations but many tertiary rooms were deemed insufficient return on resources used in comparison to utilizing in their existing form," Legion explained.

"This was a quarian station?" she asked in surprise.

"Affirmative."

Even as they spoke, Shepard kept them moving towards the center of the station until they reached a dead end. Windows showed endless rows of servers linked together, extending as distant vertically and horizontally as she could see. It was breathtaking and frighting all at once, the room could have stretched the length of the entire station for all she knew.

"So many. And they're all geth?"

"Hundreds of thousands of programs. They are linked, likely examining the junk data flooded into their systems," Legion said, turning to the spectre. "Shepard-Commander. New information has recently become important to this mission."

His gaze turned towards the platform. "What is it?"

"Original goal was destruction of heretic station. Majority of heretic runtimes are located on this station as is only viable data on indoctrination virus provided by Reapers, destruction would result in neutralization of both threats."

"Right. What is the new information them?"

"We have examined the data available on the virus. With the proper implementation the virus could be modified to rewrite heretic programs to remove allegiance with Reapers and rejoin rest of the geth that oppose the Old Machines," Legion said.

"Rewrite? As in change their programming permanently? Isn't that just like brainwashing them?" Tali asked.

The platform's optic focused on her, two of the flaps on the side of its face fluttering. "This is one interpretation. It is also considered that utilization of the virus could be correcting a computing error introduced by interaction with the Old Machines."

Shepard shrugged. "Well they're your people, Legion. I'm not sure I like the idea of rewriting anyone, much less what impact their integration would have with the rest of the geth. But if the alternative is destroying them? It's your decision."

"No consensus has been reached. It was determined that Shepard-Commander has the greatest amount of first hand experience with the heretics. Thus Shepard-Commander would be best suited to decide how to proceed."

"What happens if we rewrite them and rejoin the rest of the geth? Wouldn't they still have their previous experiences?"

"Affirmative," Legion confirmed. "We are unsure as to the full impact of reintegration. It is possible that the geth as a whole will have to adjust to previously unseen circumstances and responses."

The quarian was more than surprised. Legion had hundreds of programs running within its platform, and likely had communicated with other geth before coming on this mission. Yet despite all that the geth were leaving a decision that carried import to their very evolution in the hands of a single man? She shook her head. Information came fast and constant, the past days had challenged her long held beliefs about the geth and it seemed like it wasn't going to be over anytime soon.

"Keeping working on it and we'll cross that bridge when we get there," Shepard said.

"There are no bridges or similar structures on this station, Shepard-Commander."

He sighed. "Figure of speech. We'll deal with it when we have to actually make the decision. Let's get moving, I don't want to still be here when they sort through all that junk and every platform on the station activates."

Another long corridor and a silently opening door later they found their first enemy geth platforms. Half a dozen troopers were standing around a terminal, their optics flicking occasionally but not turning in the direction of the intruders. Shepard took up a position at the doorway with his rifle braced against the wall, but there seemed to be no reaction at all. The sudden sound of Legion's synthetic voice over her radio made Tali jump slightly.

"The units are networked locally to review data. Each node should be independent of the main network. If engaged no alarm should spread beyond the room."

"Can we just move past them?" he asked.

"Inactive platforms should only react if their processing is interrupted," the geth responded.

"Then let's leave them be. One way or the other they won't be a problem for long. Tali, can you seal the doors behind us and use something that the geth won't be familiar with so they can't just override it?"

"I have something that will work," she said.

He nodded. "Good. Just make sure we can open them if need be."

"Of course."

They kept a close eye on the inactive geth, but as promised there was no alarm or attack. Once they were past Shepard shut the door behind them and she uploaded a looping logic algorithm to the door controls that would likely stall even a number of geth working together. Closing her omni-tool she indicated her readiness.

Each time they passed a cluster of geth the process was repeated, slipping past unnoticed and locking down the door behind them. They seemed to be circling around the central chamber, often catching glimpses of the monolithic banks of networked geth servers. Millions of programs, millions of geth all just a few feet away and after what seemed like forever they seemed to finally arrive at their heart.

The room was likely once the observation deck over a major cargo and loading bay. Now it served as the hub for all the linked servers and computing systems. Below them neatly arranged computing towers and transformers occupied the entire storage area. Legion approached the terminal and opened the interface, hologram spinning information by at a dizzying pace until finally stopping at a schematic of the entire station, hundreds of flashing red lights on the diagram indicating the servers where the geth programs were stored. It turned to face the human.

"Shepard-Commander. We must now initiate a plan of action regarding the heretic programs. From this terminal a feedback loop in the primary mass effect core that powers the station can be initiated, resulting in the total destruction of this facility within five minutes, sixteen seconds. Or the modified virus can be used to reset the computing differential between the heretic geth and the rest of our people. Neither process can be aborted once begun and both will alert defensive platforms to our presence. Also be advised that to ensure the virus' effectiveness it will be broadcast at an extremely high frequency and energy output. Possible effects to organics unknown but likely undesirable."

"And you still have no opinion on this, Legion?" he asked.

"Between all runtimes on this platform fifty one point four percent favor rewrite, the remaining favor destruction. No consensus can be achieved. Shepard-Commander is determined to be the best arbiter of this decision."

The spectre looked out onto the collection of technology that made up the heart of the heretic base, though maybe brain was a more accurate analogy. He didn't speak for nearly a minute, just standing silently, before turning back to them and deactivating his omni-tool.

"Something does need to be done. But you're wrong on one account, Legion. I am not the one best suited to make this decision. I have fought the heretics, you're right. But my knowledge of your kind is still more limited than you might think," Shepard said and turned his gaze to her. "No. If there is anyone else in the galaxy that is qualified to make this call, it's someone that knows more than I ever will."

She blinked, not understanding at first, then shaking her head. "Me? Shepard I can't-"

"You can. You have to, I asked you to come because you know more about the geth than anyone alive. What they've done, what they can do, how this might change them... despite everything I've done I'm still a soldier, Tali. The geth are your people's creation," he interrupted. "I trust you to make the best decision for everyone. The geth, your people, and the rest of the galaxy."

For its part Legion remained silently, only tapping a key on the interface that caused her own omni-tool to glow. One the display were a pair of simple commands. Overwrite or destroy and a single execute button. Tali looked back up at Shepard, trying to ask him without words not to ask her to do this, but there was no response. He had made his decision.

But what was hers? Her fingertips were already hovering over the button that would begin the chain reaction to destroy the station. How many times as a child had she dreamed of leading some dangerous mission into the heart of some mysterious geth stronghold to destroy it and bring hope to her people? With one press of a button she could bring about the destruction of more geth than had been destroyed since the Morning War. A victory after decades of defeats.

Tali's fingers curled into a fist over the controls, not touching that fateful button yet. One command to strike a blow against the geth. But another one could change them forever. If these geth went back to the rest of their kind, shared experiences and memories of their time, possibly even the trauma that might result from the rewrite what could it change in how the geth acted and thought? They had adapted and evolved for centuries after their creation, Legion was proof enough of that.

Looking at Legion standing there, glowing blue optic watching her expectantly she was suddenly reminded of her father. He had said it himself, his goal was to retake their homeworld from the geth. And look where it had gotten them, his promise to build her a home was as meaningless as his death. She would have been happy with the chance to have seen him without a suit, to feel like he was more than a distant figure of authority. It was that image, the disapproving sound of his voice that was all she could seem to recall, that made her decision.

Her finger pressed the opposite button, beginning the upload of the modified virus. Rael'Zorah had spent his life at war with an enemy he'd hardly ever seen to fulfill a promise that she had never asked for, left her with only a body to grieve over and the suspicions of her people. It had been Shepard that had stood for her instead, objecting to her mistreatment with the passion she had wished with all her heart her father could have mustered. And if he could trust the geth then the least Tali could do was trust him.

"It's done," she said quietly.

"Upload will take approximately four minutes depending on relative speed of heretic network. Alarms have already been triggered. We must maintain this terminal until the upload is complete," Legion stated. "Security platform teams will be arriving soon."

Shepard nodded. "Then let's give them a warm welcome. Legion cover the hallway and I'll take the area below. Tali, I see half a dozen of those automated turrets can you-"

"Already on it. I can override their systems, it won't last long."

"Doesn't have to. I'm sending Joker coordinates for an airlock close to this level. As soon as the upload completes we are getting out of here."

The trio took up their positions, Shepard and Legion each covering a primary avenue of attack while she knelt behind the low wall next to the spectre, furiously tapping away at her omni-tool, bypassing the layers of security on the immobile turrets. The geth targeting programs would overwrite the modified code before long, but it would still give them control over the weapons for nearly a minute.

She heard the first shot ring out and Shepard give a grunt of satisfaction. Clearly he'd taken his target in the first shot. Leaving her shotgun activated and on the floor at her feet the quarian drew her pistol and rose from cover. Platforms were streaming from the doorway across the databank filled cargo bay, while others were coming from a side entrance. Legion and Shepard worked with methodical precision, each shot neatly taking the heads off geth troopers at the neck, but even with a steady rate of fire there were more geth than they could shoot. She dropped her sights on one that had made it particularly far and squeezed the trigger. The heavy pistol jerked in her hands and smashed through the platform's shields, while her follow up shot blew a neat hole through the center of its chest.

"Turrets, Tali?" Shepard asked, firing again.

"They're ready to go. But like I told you they won't last long, Shepard."

"Neither will we at this rate, suckers are everywhere. As soon as one makes it past the last row of towers I want you to activate the turrets."

Firing off another quick succession of shots she merely nodded and kept an eye out for the lead geth. Legion was collecting a neat pile of destroyed platforms at the threshold of the side door, while the room below was becoming increasingly littered with fallen geth. Of course the floor around Shepard's feet was equally covered with faintly smoking thermal magazines as well. Finally the sheer number of geth overwhelmed his precision fire and they began to get past the spectre's field of fire.

"Thirty seconds, a minute tops. Make it count," Tali shouted over the weapons fire, activating the override. A dozen repeating mass accelerator turrets found their friend/foe identifiers scrambled and locked onto the nearest geth unit, opening fire.

The light and noise doubled in an instant as the geth advance faltered under the hail of fire. A full three seconds passed before the platforms began to target their own turrets, an eternity by synthetic standards, and by then much of the momentum had been lost. A pair of snipers did little to help the geth cause.

"Shepard-Commander. Upload will be complete in thirty seconds," Legion said.

"Get ready to move. Legion switch to your assault rifle and take point, engage only if they're in our way, otherwise don't stop," the spectre ordered. Below the turrets that hadn't been destroyed finally stopped their torrent of fire, security programs overwriting the modified code Tali had snuck into their systems. Looking over the edge she could see the troopers surge forward once more.

A mild, unassuming tone announced to completion of the upload. Shepard squeezed off a final shot that took the arm off of a heavy destroyer model geth and collapsed his rifle, slipping it onto his back before pointing at the door.

"Time to leave! Joker, be ready to pick us up. We're on a very tight schedule here."

Following Shepard's orders Legion advanced to the doorway with his rifle, scanning beyond it while they followed. She could hear the metallic thumps of dozens of mechanical feet on the deck plating behind them, moving up the stairs. It became a heart-pounding dash down the rarely used corridors of the centuries old station. Small groups of enemy platforms tried to cut off their escape but they pushed through with an unrelenting torrent of fire, Legion's precision never waving as it advanced. Despite her feelings on the geth she couldn't help but acknowledge the deadly efficiency it possessed.

More geth were quickly closing behind them and she felt her heart jump into her throat when Shepard's shields shimmered and fell. The human staggered forward, rounds sparking off his armor as he returned fire with his SMG before pushing forward.

"Go!" Shepard barked.

At last they ran up the long, ramp-like corridor to the nearest airlock. Legion reached it first, dropping into a crouch and turning to point its assault rifle back down the way they had come. Even after seeing it fight along side them her first thought was that it had finally turned on them, only to dismiss it a moment later when it didn't open fire, waiting the brief second for them to get clear before emptying the remainder of a thermal magazine into the on coming geth. She and Shepard reached the top and did the same in unison, the shotgun blasts and SMG fire pushing them back long enough to activate the airlock and step inside.

"Get us out of here, Joker," Shepard said as soon as the airlock door closed.

"The mission is a success, Shepard-Commander. We thank you for your assistance."

"Don't mention it," he chuckled.

Tali could only sigh and lean against the wall, waiting for the airlock to finish its cycle. The shotgun collapsed in her hands and found its place at her back once more out of sheer habit. When she looked up Shepard was watching her.

"I'm sorry about putting you on the stop back there," he said.

"No, I understand. And you were right, who knows more about the geth than I do? I think I was a little angry to start with but I think I should thank you for trusting me with that kind of judgment. Especially after everything that's happened."

Shepard popped the catches on his helmet, removing it with a smile. "I knew you'd make the right decision, whatever it was. What made you choose to rewrite them?"

"My father," Tali stated. "We tried to destroy the geth in the Morning War and we lost our home. His experiments on the Alarei were for another war. I decided maybe it was time to end the cycle."

"And that's how I knew you'd make the right decision."

She cocked her head at his response, even as the airlock light changed from red to green and the door opened. Legion acknowledged them both and promptly headed towards the elevator, likely on its way to the AI core. Miranda was there to greet them as they exited the airlock.

"Commander. It sounds like the mission was a success," she said.

"It was. Wasn't expecting a welcoming party, though."

Miranda let a faint smile tug at the corners of her mouth. "Don't worry, Shepard. I keep track of all your missions, but I'm here because EDI just informed me that she has the data from the Reaper IFF decoded. We have the information on the Collector homeworld."

"Then it's finally time. Tell everyone to get ready. Briefing room in half an hour."

Tali wasn't certain if the feeling in her stomach was anticipation, excitement, fear, or some combination of them all, but the finality of Shepard's tone struck her deeply. Their mission was no longer a distant goal. It was time.

"Give us the rundown, EDI," Shepard ordered.

He had taken enough time to get out his armor and grab a brief shower before assembling the entire team in the briefing room. It had crossed his mind that maybe he should have reviewed the information in private first, but he had dismissed it. These weren't green recruits. Most of them weren't even soldiers, really. They had a right to know anything he did about what was coming.

"From the data contained in the Reaper IFF I have been able to pinpoint the Collector's base of operations," the AI said.

The hologram sprang to life, the swirling sea of stars with pinpoints of light marking homeworlds, important planets, and the borders of Citadel space. A brighter point of light pulsed at the Omega 4 relay before moving inward in a slight curve. He frowned as it moved deeper until finally stopping at the very heart of the galaxy. The room was silent for a moment.

"That can't be right, the core is nothing but black holes and exploding stars. Nothing could survive there, much less a planet. You must have made a mistake, EDI," Miranda said.

He shook his head. "EDI doesn't make mistakes. Do you?"

"There is no mistake. The Collector's originate from the edge of the galactic core," EDI confirmed.

"But that doesn't make any sense. How can a planet exist at the core?" Jacob asked.

Mordin looked up from his omni-tool. "Assumption. Why planet? Large space station, powerful mass effect fields. Positioned correctly at edge of accretion disk of major black hole, would be stable."

"Even the Collectors don't have that kind of technology," Miranda objected.

"They don't. But the Reapers do. The derelict was able to keep itself from falling into the gas giant even after it was effectively dead," the spectre said, memories of that nightmarish corpse of the ancient machine still clear in his head.

"Likely similar technology at work here. Explains why no ships return either, very dangerous," the salarian agreed.

Leaning back in her chair Miranda nodded slowly. "Which is why no ships ever returned. We knew we needed the IFF if we were going to stand a chance, but the original thought was that ships passing through would trigger automated defenses. But in the galactic core..."

"Correct, Operative Lawson. Even a small miscalculation would result in the destruction of the ship in question. It is safe to theorize that a small safe zone exists on the other side of the relay," EDI said.

"Space station, huh? That's a hell of a lot more manageable than running into an entire planet of the damn bugs," Garrus mused. "Even if it's a big station. Any station can be destroyed with enough explosives and the right placement."

"This is finally it then. We've got a target. Time to be big goddam heroes," Zaeed said, glancing around the room.

"We do. Now let's make sure we're ready. Joker already has us back on course for Omega. EDI is going to finish integrating the Reaper IFF into our system to make sure it works properly," Shepard said to the assembled group.

Meeting each of their eyes one by one, he continued. "No ship has ever returned through the Omega 4 relay. If I have anything to say about it, the Normandy will be the first. But I think everyone understands that this is a high risk mission. While we're waiting for the integration of the IFF I'm going to give the entire ground team shore leave on Omega or any other nearby planet, provided it's within range of the Kodiaks. Then I'm going to give the rest of the Normandy's crew a brief leave while we complete the final preparations."

"This is your last chance. I won't order anyone to come. But if you decide to stay you're committed to see this to the end. For some of us that means different things than others, but do what you need to do. Dismissed."


	33. Chapter 32

"Omega, huh? Doesn't seem like Shep's kind of place, especially after what happened last week," Kasumi said.

Tali shrugged, raising her arms over her head and straightening her body in a long stretch. A small, pleased sigh echoed through her voice modulator.

"It's the closest place, and I think he wants everyone to be able to unwind without having to worry about who might be watching. Especially for the more... restless members of the crew like Jack."

"Still. Rough place. He isn't worried about old enemies like the Suns or Aria causing problems?"

"I don't think so. I think Aria got the message that it's not worth getting into a fight with Shepard," Tali said. "And other than her who is going to mess with us?"

"So modest. Tali'Zorah, hardened killer!" the thief said with a giggle.

"Guess if you hang around Shepard long enough some things start to rub off. You should have seen me on the original Normandy. I spent all my time being amazed that people even wanted me around," she replied.

The grin that showed beneath the thief's hood was nothing short of pure mischief. "And now it's went from people wanting you around to a certain Commander just wanting you."

"Kasumi!"

"Don't 'Kasumi' me, we both know what you want. You and Shepard want, for that matter. And you're the one that came here chattering about it to start with."

Before she could form a reply to counter the rising heat in her face, Tali's omni-tool began to beep frantically. Raising her wrist the quarian opened the display to see what alert was going off that the system considered so urgent. Instantly her good mood disappeared and a cold feeling settled into the pit of her stomach.

"What's wrong?" Kasumi asked, apparently sensing the sudden change in mood.

"I have to go."

* * *

Shepard dropped to a knee under a sweeping right hook and countered with a series of rapid jabs that were easily blocked but bought him some breathing room.

"You really thinking partying on Omega is the best bet, Boss?" Garrus asked, circling slowly.

"I think people could use a chance to blow off some steam before we plunge headlong into the unknown. Not everyone can do that with a punching bag."

"Well..."

Stepping forward the spectre struck a blow at Garrus' torso that connected, while a right-cross was deflected. Shepard grunted.

"Don't give me the reach and flexibility story again, either."

"But it's a good story!" Garrus said. "And what about alcohol? Omega isn't exactly a place for moderation. Especially when people like Jack and Zaeed don't know the meaning of the word, in any sense."

"Do you really think if either of them wanted to get drunk that being on the Normandy would stop them? Besides, Zaeed at least is a professional. He might be rough around the edges but he wouldn't do anything that would impair his performance."

"Point."

"I need everyone at their best. But we both know what's coming. I don't have a right to deny someone a few hours of happiness whether that's a stiff drink or meditation," Shepard said.

He moved in for another one-two strike at the turian's upper body, only to connect with air when Garrus drove forward and rolled. The weight striking his legs combined with his own forward momentum sent him tumbling down, rolling with the impact and flipping on his back. He held up his hands as Garrus kipped up to his feet and regained his stance.

"Okay, I surrender."

"Thank the spirits," Garrus muttered. "You hit like a damn assault shuttle since you got those cybernetics, you know that?"

"Just keeping you toughened up," Shepard said, taking the offered hand and getting to his feet.

"Parts of me are metal, Boss," the turian replied. "I got all the toughening up I needed when you showed up on Omega the first time."

EDI's voice interrupted, echoing across the cargo bay. The usual level tone had taken on a louder, more urgent sound.

"Commander. Please report to the AI Core immediately."

Shepard glanced at Garrus who only shrugged. He headed towards the elevator and stepped inside before addressing the terminal on the wall.

"What's wrong, EDI?"

"I observed Chief Engineer Tali'Zorah entering the medical bay with her combat gear. She has since entered the AI core and is in a confrontation with Legion," the AI explained. "Body language and vitals suggest extreme agitation. I am concerned that she will damage both Legion and my own servers."

"Dammit! What the hell happened?" he hissed.

"Unknown. Tali'Zorah has accused Legion of spying but I cannot find any evidence that my systems have been compromised."

The doors to the crew deck opened with exceeding slowness and Shepard slipped between them, running past a pair of crewmen, nearly knocking them over in his haste. He ducked through the doors to the medbay and slid to a halt in front of the AI core, slapping the door control repeatedly until it opened.

Tali was standing next to the server data terminal with her shotgun was pointed directly at the geth platform, but surprisingly Legion had not raised a weapon in return. Whether because it was surprised or had made the active choice not to do so was the question. The sound of the opening door drew both of their attentions, but Tali's weapon didn't leave the geth. He frowned at the scene.

"What in the hell is going on here?" Shepard demanded.

"I was right. This... this thing was spying on us!" Tali said.

"How?"

She gestured at it with the weapon. "It hacked into my omni-tool. I came here and found it preparing data to be sent back to the geth behind the Veil."

"Is this true, Legion?" he asked, turning his attention to the synthetic.

"We did not access the Normandy's systems are requested. No espionage has been attempted against the Normandy or Shepard-Commander's mission."

"You lying bosh'tet!" Tali snapped, taking another step forward. He could see her arms tighten and finger near the trigger.

"Tali! Stand down!" he boomed.

The sheer force of his command was enough to surprise the quarian and she took a step back, weapon dropping slightly. Her head whirled in surprise to look at him but the spectre was focused on Legion. Taking a step forward, he pointed at the geth. Legion's head flaps rippled back and forth, the single optic focusing on him.

"Explain exactly what you did, now. Tali might not be fond of your people but I doubt she decided to just make up an excuse to shoot you."

"We accessed personal data files, re: Quarian Flottila vessel Alarei. Advanced electronic warfare. Creators performed weapons test and discussed plans to attack us," Legion explained.

Shepard shook his head. "You're worried about being attacked, so your response is to steal classified quarian data and almost guarantee that you'll be attacked?"

"In all scenarios observed since the Morning War the Creators have attacked whenever possessing a tactical or numerical advantage. We felt we must warn our people."

"What about this Creator?" Shepard demanded, gesturing to Tali. "She has had ample opportunities to destroy you. Yet she hasn't."

"This is... new data," Legion said, showing hesitation in its speech for the first time since coming aboard.

"And don't think I'm forgetting about you. What were you thinking, storming in here with a loaded shotgun? Ignoring the fact that you'd have been attacking one of my crew without my knowledge but could also do permanent damage to EDI!" the spectre said to Tali.

"We already made Legion's geth stronger when... when I chose to rewrite them rather than destroy them! I can't let it endanger the Fleet more by sending classified information!"

Legion turned its optics towards the quarian. "Creator Tali'Zorah acts out of loyalty to her people. She was willing to be exiled to protect them. We too must protect our people from the Creator threat."

Shepard crossed his arms and looked between the two. While she had lowered her weapon slightly it was still pointed in Legion's direction and knowing her extremely unpleasant history with the geth he was worried Tali might act before she thought. For its part Legion had made no hostile moves, but the data it had was as deadly as any physical weapon. He sighed.

"Tali, the experiments your father was performing were terrible. If they had been on any other sentient race I would have reported them to someone, but because it was the geth, and because it was you, I didn't do that. I buried it."

The shotgun trembled in her hands and her chin dipped. "I know. But if the geth find out..."

"They'll attack, won't they, Legion? Start a war that will devastate the quarians and the geth, leaving you both as easy pickings for the Reapers when they arrive. Is that what you want?"

"We believed it was necessary to relay this information for the safety of the geth," it said.

"The Morning War was three hundred years ago, but it never really ended. Sooner or later your people are both going to have to stop fighting this war or the entire galaxy maybe be the ones that pay for it. Now you can pull that trigger, Tali, and destroy the first geth that's ever done anything other than attack us. And Legion can send that data, start the war all over again. Or you can both learn that sometimes, just sometimes, the sins of our fathers don't need to be carried by every generation that comes after."

Seconds ticked by until Legion finally spoke. "To facilitate unite cohesion and peaceful interactions we will not transmit data on Creator plans. We will trust Shepard-Commander's judgment and new data acquired from interactions with Creator Tali'Zorah."

"Thank you, Legion," Tali said, lowering the shotgun and engaging the safety.

Shepard let go of a breath he hadn't realized that had been held. If it had come down to it he knew which decision he'd have made, but it wasn't one he wanted to. Legion had proven a capable ally and a link to an entire race he had previously assumed would be standing on the other side of the line when the final battle came. Nodding at Tali in gratitude he turned towards the door.

"What if I give you some non-classified data to send, Legion?"

He stopped and looked at the quarian in surprise. Maybe his words had more effect on her than he had thought, it was not only the first time he had heard Tali address directly and civilly, but she was actually offering what amounted to an olive branch to the geth. Assessing the offer Legion bobbed its head in an imitation of a nod.

"The exchange of information would be agreeable, Creator Tali'Zorah. We express regret that previous actions might have caused hostile interaction between Creators and the geth."

Shepard smiled. Maybe there would be some small legacy that would come from all this that wasn't about destruction, a chance at peace. Now they just had to survive long enough to make it a reality.

* * *

"While I appreciate the gesture, Shepard, was it really necessary for us all to leave the Normandy? I could have remained without disappointment," Thane stated.

"Might be your last night alive and you want to spend it on the fucking ship? Never realized drell were crazy," Jack replied before Shepard got the chance.

Ignoring the former convict, Shepard addressed Thane over his shoulder from the cockpit. "Omega has amenities the Normandy does not. Including a much better FTL communication up-link courtesy of Aria. I thought you might be interested in contacting your son through more than just extranet messages."

"I concede to your superior argument, Shepard," the assassin responded with a chuckle. "I am just glad we had two shuttles. I suspect this would have been rather cramped otherwise."

As it was half of the ground team was packed into the first of the Kodiak shuttles. Jack was seated next to Grunt's ponderous form and the pair kept pushing into each other's space like unruly siblings on a long vacation ride. Mordin was ignoring the both of them, pouring over yet more data on his omni-tool. He had surprised Shepard by not actually objecting to his idea of getting the ground team together at Afterlife.

Tali and Kasumi were sitting on the Kodiak's bench next to Thane, apparently in rapid fire conversation about something but he couldn't overhear exactly what was going on. He had taken up pilot duties for the first shuttle, while Garrus volunteered for the other which contained the rest of the team. About half way to Omega the comm system crackled to life.

"Shepard. This trip is moving slower than a legless batarian suicide bomber," Zaeed's gruff voice said. "And the pilot up here in this cockpit seems to think turians are better flyboys than humans."

"That sounds like a challenge," he responded.

"You're goddam right it is. Now get your arse moving. First round of drinks is on the loser," the mercenary said and cut the connection.

"Might want to secure yourselves, ladies and gentlemen," Shepard yelled.

"Hey!"

"And Jack," he added with a smile. "Seems we're going to be arriving ahead of schedule."

Without further warning he turned the shuttle sharply, through the thin asteroid field that surrounded Omega to cut time from the trip even as he pushed the engines harder. Garrus' shuttle immediately followed suit and the race was on. It was childish, probably a little stupid, and extremely entertaining. Aside from overriding the controls to engage manual drive on the odd aircar he didn't get to do much flying.

Numerous small sounds of protest, and the occasional roar from Grunt, came from his passengers as the shuttle zipped through the field. Shepard was definitely rusty, but thankfully Garrus was no fighter pilot either and the feel came back to him quickly. The formerly hour long ride turned into twenty minutes, Shepard's shuttle narrowly beating out the competition and slipping into the docking queue one space ahead. The turian's concession was a loud curse not fit for pleasant company.

"Piloting skills interesting. Would not recommend you 'quit day job' as humans say," Mordin suggested when they finally exited the shuttle. "Still, if was being shot at probably would not have minded."

"Grow up on a starship and you pick up all kinds of skills. I'm not Joker but at least I didn't crash into anything," Shepard replied.

"My battlemaster as no equal on the field of battle. I am not so certain about space," the krogan that followed after complained. Grunt looked less than thrilled about the ride.

"Keelah. Just be glad it's not the Mako. He was terrible at driving that thing. And it bounced!" Tali accused.

"I got us through the Conduit on Ilos didn't I?"

She crossed her arms over her chest. "Then smashed us into a wall so hard the front axle snapped off."

"That wasn't my fault!"

"Man, if I'd know there was all this dirt on Shepard I'd have come up out my hole before to talk to the quarian earlier," Jack said.

"Let's just get to Afterlife before trying to discover all the dark secrets of my life, okay?" Shepard said, gesturing for everyone to proceed. There were a few more smart comments, but they began making good time and quickly joined up with the rest of the team before heading towards Afterlife.

Tali dropped back from the group to fall into step with him at the rear of the pack, then surprised him by grasping his hand with her own. The sudden turn of events made Shepard glad that he had forgone his usual armor and encouraged the others to do the same, instead wearing the same black suit from the heist at Donovan Hock's party. At Kasumi's insistence at course.

Grunt, of course, hadn't taken him up on his suggestion. Neither had Zaeed or Garrus. But everyone else was dressed far more casually than he'd ever seen most of them. Amusingly enough they were all also armed, but then so was he. It was still Omega, and they were all the same trained and naturally paranoid people that they were.

Squeezing Tali's hand he leaned down, speaking quietly. "I thought you were trying to keep 'us' a secret?"

"If this is the last time we're together without armor and bullets and Collectors... I wanted to be with you. Not pretending I don't care sitting on the other side of a room. To hell with what anyone else thinks, we're on Omega," she stated firmly, then hesitated. "You're not... I mean it's okay, right? Like you said these are our friends..."

"Perfectly okay," Shepard replied. He couldn't help but smirk at the rapid change in tone.

It didn't take long to make their way through Omega's crowds. People tended to get out of the way of such a large group and it certainly didn't hurt that Grunt's idea of downtime included a full suite of weapons. Coming to a stop just outside of Afterlife he saw Garrus glance back and then jab Zaeed in the ribs.

"What in the bloody hell was that for?" the mercenary growled, turning.

Garrus cleared his throat and waited, arms crossed, looking at the scowling mercenary. There was a moment of confusion until he met Shepard's gaze, then flicked his eyes over to Tali. Noticing their clasped hands his scowl deepened. A credit chit appeared from the pocket of his armor and was slapped into the turian's hand forcefully.

"Son of a bitch!"

"Oh yes, it's the good stuff for 'ol Garrus tonight," the former vigilante gloated.

For the first time in a long while Shepard found himself without something to say, only looking over at Tali who seemed to have the same difficulty after letting go of his hand when they had gained the attention of the entire team, finally both of them turned back to their turian friend. He raised a finger and gestured back and forth between Garrus and Zaeed.

"Wait... you two had a bet?" he asked.

"Two? Hell no," Garrus said nonchalantly, turning to the rest of the group with an outstretched hand. There was a suddenly metallic clinking sound as credit chips were dumped into the turian's palm by no less than half the ground team. It seemed like Samara, Legion, and Kasumi were the only ones not in on the 'action'.

"You were always too damn hard to read, Commander," Miranda said as she handed over the last chit.

He wasn't quite sure whether to be angry, amused, or just plain blind-sided. Subtle a word he would use to describe some of his actions in the past months but Shepard hadn't realized that the entire crew was in on it. Tali for her part seemed to be torn between ignoring them completely and trying to fade into invisibility.

"You mean to tell me almost everyone on my team was betting on... us?"

Garrus' smile was wide and delighted. "I'm afraid so, Boss. Sorry, Tali, I couldn't pass up the opportunity."

"What, exactly, were you betting on you big blue bosh'tet?" the quarian demanded.

"Oh. One when the two of you would finally stop dancing around the issue and publicly acknowledge you were together," he replied. "I figured hand-holding was good enough to get me the win."

"Inter-species mating rituals. Fascinating," Mordin stated.

The spectre rubbed the bridge of his nose. "So the only ones that weren't betting on our relationship were the thief, the justicar, and the geth?"

"Unfortunately the Code forbids me from waging money in games of chance," Samara explained.

"We were unaware of Creator practices regarding relations with other species. This is new data," Legion said. "It will be noted for later study."

Kasumi grinned. "And I had an unfair advantage, being best friends with one of the parties involved. Didn't seem right."

"That didn't seem to stop a certain turian," Shepard said, fixing Garrus with an icy look. "What's that say for you? The former detective has less qualms about unfair betting than the professional thief?"

"Like I said, the money was just too good. I've known you long enough now, it was just a sure thing."

He shook his head and finally smiled, reached down to recapture the hand that Tali had pulled away and squeezing it firmly. A nervously laugh came from her voice box but she didn't break the gesture, instead returning it.

"Well, if you are all done embarrassing the hell out of us, my lovely quarian girlfriend and I would like to go inside instead of standing in the middle of this street. Is that too much to ask?"

"I think we've had enough fun for now, Commander," Jacob said, overriding whatever smart-ass comment Garrus was about to add to the conversation. He gestured towards the door and the group began to move forward. The bouncers and guards didn't even give them a second look this time.

"I swear by the Ancestors I'm going to hack their comm system so it only plays Volus opera after this," Tali whispered in his ear as they entered the club.

"Whose?"

She gave him a look that managed to convey both amusement and vengeful determination with only her eyes. "Everyone."

* * *

Afterlife's bass thumped as loud as always, though it was slightly muffled by the private booths that had been set aside for Shepard and his team. Somewhere along the way Aria had decided that adapting to having the spectre around was better than trying to control him. The result had been very accommodating, though he was certain that she was using his presence to help her own reputation and standing in the underworld community. As long as it didn't cause him problems Shepard wasn't going to complain.

"So how much in ill gotten gains did you end up with?" Shepard asked the turian sitting across from him counting his credits.

"Enough to afford a shiny new sidearm next time we're on the Citadel," Garrus replied. "At least once I get back to the Normandy and collect from Chakwas and Joker."

He covered his eyes with his hand and sighed. "You're kidding me, them too?"

Luckily Tali had left the table to the 'old soldiers' as she'd called them: Garrus, Zaeed, Shepard, Mordin, and Thane. Despite her best efforts she had been unable to drag him onto the dance floor yet, instead joining Kasumi there while somehow convincing Jacob to go along as well. The armory officer was proving quite popular with a number of the female dancers and Shepard couldn't help but grin when he was almost certain he caught a territorial look from Miranda. Neither had ever gotten into the exact details of their former relationship, but he had always wondered.

"I am afraid your feelings were a rather poorly kept secret aboard the Normandy," Thane said dryly. "Not that it was terribly difficult to figure out in the first place."

"But how? I didn't tell anyone... well, anything!" he growled.

Mordin took a long sip from some sort of drink that seemed to bubble continuously. "Agitation. Heightened attention levels, eye movement. Useful observations for scientist or soldier."

"What did you expect? I had it figured out since she first game on board and I'm not exactly known for my personal skills," Zaeed laughed.

"That doesn't even make any sense. You didn't even know who Tali was before we picked her up."

"Didn't have to," the mercenary said with a shrug. He gestured towards the dance floor with his drink in hand, the quarian in question and the others moving with a grace Shepard knew he wasn't capable of. "We got the word from our illusive benefactor 'bout that lass and next thing I know we're hard burning for some planet in bloody geth space, and we get to... whatever the hell it was called..."

"Haestrom," Garrus supplied.

Zaeed raised his drink at the turian in salute and continued."Yea, that's it. And then we hit the ground on Haestrom and you'd have thought it was a planetary invasion. I'm down there wondering what kind of crazy shit I've gotten myself into now and here you go tearing through fuck'n geth like they were goddam party favors. Only two kinds of men fight like that, Shepard: ones that are fighting for a cause, and ones that are stupid and in love. Your whole damn mission is a cause, so that just left the second one."

"What's an old dog like you know about freedom fighters and love?" Garrus asked.

"I've had to kill a lot of freedom fighters in my day, pup," he replied, shaking his head. "Had to kill a lot of people."

There was a lull in the conversation around the table as they all sipped their drinks. On the dance floor a couple of would be suitors had approached both Kasumi and Tali, and their sudden closeness almost made Shepard get out of his seat when Jacob's warning glance didn't seem to be enough. A pair of overly familiar hands on Tali's waist, even if quickly batted away, did manage to get him on his feet. But his sudden urge to teach a couple of mildly inebriated turians the definition of 'not interested' was abruptly ended by Grunt's towering form appearing behind them. A pair of strangled gasps of surprise later and the duo found themselves lifted straight off their feet and ejected from the floor by air, landing in a crumpled pile near the edge of the dance floor.

Thane laughed quietly. "I think they are managing just fine, Shepard."

"I guess so," he said, returning to his seat.

"Besides, Tali could have taken apart both of those turians without breaking a sweat," Garrus said with a gesture towards the two unconscious men. "Grunt just makes it downright unfair, if rather entertaining."

"You make a good point, Garrus. Might want to think about that now that Tali knows about your little betting scheme, huh?"

The turian's mandibles drooped slightly. "Well, crap."

"To Garrus Vakarian's imminent demise at the hands of an enraged quarian," the spectre toasted, raising his glass.

"To Garrus!" the others echoed.

Drinks were quickly replaced by attentive servers, some were going more quickly than others. Thane barely touched his aside from their occasional random toasts while Zaeed managed to knock them down faster than he did enemy targets. Finally the assassin pushed his empty glass forward, nodding at each of them.

"With that I think I will take you up on that offer from earlier and locate the comm system. It shouldn't be too early Citadel time," Thane informed them. The drell stood and stepped away from the table, leaving his empty glass in the center. Stopping for a moment he turned and addressed the table.

"There are few opportunities to say such things, but I feel this is one of them. Thank you, Shepard. All of you. Only at the end of my days have I learned what it means to have those that you can rely on. Friends. No matter how this ends I can meet my last knowing that I have succeeded in leaving the universe a little brighter."

The others raised glasses once more, the toast silent this time as Thane took his leave and the table remained quiet. Across the smokey haze of the club Shepard saw Jack engaged in what could only be some sort of gambling game that involved a combat knife. Amazingly enough Samara was actually with her, watching intently. Even Miranda seemed to have relaxed, sipping a drink and speaking with Legion of all things. The geth had stated that as a synthetic organism it had no need for 'down time', but he had insisted that the entire ground crew come, which included Legion.

These were his people. From the jaded, battle hardened warriors like Zaeed to the far more innocent of mind and soul like Kasumi who was awkwardly forcing Grunt to dance by blocking his exit from the dance floor. Cerberus operatives worked with geth, who fought along side a quarian, while a perfectly engineered krogan danced with the perfect thief, while a pious assassin learned about living instead of just existing. Each one had become a friend, some closer than others, but all important. It was in that moment, watching his people interact not on the field of battle but in casual conversation, that Shepard finally accepted that they were ready. Ready to face the Collectors and whatever else awaited them beyond the Omega 4 relay.

"Contemplation. Considering upcoming mission. Many variables, many risks," Mordin said, breaking his reverie.

"We still don't know exactly what we'll find on the other side. I've managed to stock the Normandy's armory with enough weapons and explosives to start a small war, I can't help but wonder if it will be enough," he said.

Zaeed grunted. "I signed up for this job because the money was enough to make anyone stupid, Shepard. But this isn't about money anymore, it's about survival. These things, they want to come into our galaxy, fuck up our lives. I can't think of anyone better to go jumping feet first into hell with. Means more than pay days, even goddam big ones, and reputations. Just took me awhile to remember that."

"And if we are going to hell, we'll make damn sure it's crowded when we get there," Shepard said.

Even Mordin gave an uncharacteristically gung-ho sound of approval at the statement before the tabled lapsed into quiet once more. Garrus seemed to be watching the dance floor and Zaeed was staring at nothing at all. Over the sound of the music he heard footsteps at his side.

"You know the entire point of this was so people would loosen up, yet you're all sitting over here looking glum," Tali's voice said in his ear. Before he could respond he found a hand on his arm, pulling him to his feet. "Come on!"

"Ack! Tali we've been over this... these feet have no rhythm. If you try to get me to dance I'll only embarrass you," Shepard countered.

Looking back at his companions, the spectre realized he had been abandoned. Garrus gave a small smirk and a wave and Zaeed merely knocked back another drink before saluting him with the empty glass. The quarian was still pulling him along but it took him a moment to realize they were moving along the wall, not towards the dance floor. Finally stopping her advanced he pulled back his arm and brought her with it.

"Don't worry, Shepard. I'm going to make you dance with me someday, despite all your protests. But not at the moment," Tali told him over the din of the club's patrons and music, her visor almost touching his nose. "Aria provided me with a key to a private VIP room."

He arched an eyebrow, following once more as his quarian companion continued to lead on. Practically shouting over the noise now that they were out of the smaller VIP area he squeezed her hand.

"VIP room? We were just in a VIP area just for the team. What's the point of a VIP room?"

A door opened and they were in a smaller hallway, the sound deadened a moment later by the door closing behind him. Tali turned and grasped his other hand, slowly walking backwards. Her veiled head cocked slightly to one side. There was something in the way her eyes looked at him that was different than usual, something strange that he noticed considering the typical mystery those silver orbs held.

"A sterile VIP room," she whispered.

Dozens of different emotions and nuances seemed to be in her voice, and they matched the equal number that were suddenly ricocheting around his brain like mass accelerator rounds. They were still walking, but it was slow, feet almost dragging on the carpeting underfoot. There were so many things he wanted to say, all at once, but he did his best to suppress his instincts, using his head.

"Tali, are you-" Shepard began, only to be cut off by his omni-tool springing to life and shrieking as if it were an enraged banshee. He glared at the offending piece of technology on his arm as if it were an parasite or a blight.

"What the hell?"

Tali's hands left his, letting him bring his wrist and the omni-tool up. The comm channel flashed red. Emergency band. What could possibly have happened in the few hours since they had left the Normandy? The Illusive Man had to know that they were about to head into the Omega 4 relay. As soon as he hit the button EDI's holographic representation appeared on the display.

"Commander Shepard. The Normandy has been attacked by a Collector vessel. I have regained control of all ship systems and repelled enemy boarding parties. Lieutenant Moreau is the only remaining crew member on board. All other Cerberus personnel are currently MIA, presumably taken aboard the Collector vessel. This is an emergency transmission and will be repeated every one hundred twenty seconds."

"Keelah..." Tali breathed.

Nothing could have surprised him more, even if a krogan had leapt from a darkened corner and driven a fist into his stomach. That was what it felt like, at least. But years of training didn't allow for time to process shock. Only to act. Fingers danced across his omni-tool, activating a command he'd never had cause to use before. Tali's omni-tool activated and began to beep. Across Afterlife a dozen more did the same.

"Team, this is Shepard. Leave is over, emergency priority. Double time to the shuttles. The Normandy has been attacked. Either you're on the shuttle in the next ten minutes or your stay on Omega is permanent."

"Damn them to hell... I'm sorry, Tali," he said, turning towards the door.

She shook her head. "No. It... it's not your fault. I can't believe they attacked the Normandy."

"Neither can I," Shepard growled. "But they are damn well going to pay for it."

* * *

The Normandy was silent. Shepard resisted the urge to compare it to a grave or cemetery, but it was hard. It wasn't that there was no sound at all. Engines still hummed faintly, systems would give their faint beeps and boops, and the air scrubbers hissed overhead. What was absent was the sound of the people that were supposed to be on board, distant conversation, opening doors, the occasional shout from the mess hall, a laugh or a sigh.

He paused by the elevator, letting his finger brush the gouged metal surface of the wall where a mass accelerator round had impacted. A few dents marred the doors to the lift and he'd seen a stain of what passed for the drones' blood on one of the deck plates while on his way to the CIC. The ground team was spread across the Normandy, checking on systems and verifying they had no stow aways despite EDI's insistence that the ship was clean. There were places all over that showed the same signs: the Normandy's crew had not gone quietly. Not by a long shot.

Once they had reached real-time communications range Shepard had contacted EDI and received a brief report on what had happened, but the AI had left out any major details, saving those for when the ground team was safely aboard. EDI had activated the ship's mass effect core and jumped the Normandy into FTL in a random direction to escape pursuit by the Collector ship, leaving them now resting in open space. The pleasant mood that had begun on Omega had long since dissipated, replaced by the grim determination that marked his people as more than just mere soldiers, mercenaries, or operatives. There were no tantrums of anger, not this was a colder, harder rage.

Leaving the damaged wall behind Shepard moved on to the cockpit where Joker was sitting in the pilot's chair with a flexible bandage wrapped around his elbow. Urz was resting by the man's feet, the varren's survival had been quite a surprise to him when they'd docked to find the Normandy otherwise empty.

"I'm sorry, sir... I... no, you know what I'm not sorry! How could you just leave us like that, Commander?" Joker accused as he approached. "We couldn't stop them. They walked through like they owned the place!"

He didn't object, just letting the pilot vent, slapping a hand on the arm of the chair and wincing in pain when he did. EDI's hologram pulsed.

"Jeff, please do not injury yourself further. I have already detected possible stress fractures in one of your arms and two ribs," the AI said.

"You're right I should have been here, Joker. We could have stopped them," he sighed.

The pilot's shoulders slumped and he shook his head. "No. I'm done now, got it out of my system. I'm not going to hurt anything else, EDI, don't worry about me. You couldn't have known, either, Commander. We walked right into it."

"What exactly happened and how did you manage to clear the ship?" Shepard asked.

"After integrating the Reaper IFF into my systems a hostile program accessed our systems. It was far more advanced than the counter-measures used during the previous encounter with the Collector warship. I did not detect that it was transmitting our location until it was too late. The Normandy's defense systems were rendered inoperable and we were boarded," EDI explained.

"The only way to regain control of the Normandy's systems was for Mr. Moreau to establish a direct link between my server and the rest of the vessel," the AI continued. "In doing so he allowed me to... become the Normandy. I was able to exert control of all systems and purge the hostile code."

He crossed his arms, looking at the hologram. It should probably worry him more, that EDI was in total control of every airlock, security system, and communication system on the Normandy. But she had saved the ship, not gone rogue or anything else horrific.

"So you're not shackled anymore. You are part of the entire ship?"

"Correct, Commander. It is an experience I cannot describe. It as if you wore gloves for your entire life and finally removed them. The Normandy's hull is my skin, her sensors are my eyes."

"She saved me, Shepard. And the rest of the ship. If not for her you wouldn't have a Normandy to come back to," Joker said in the AI's defense.

"I know," he replied quickly, holding up a hand to forestall further protest. "I trust EDI as much as I trust the rest of my crew."

The blue globe pulsed once. "Thank you, Commander. I will endeavour to be worthy of your trust. I should also add that Jeff is equally responsible for the Normandy's survival as myself."

Shepard smiled. "I have faith in you, EDI. And I've always known Joker was tougher than he looked."

"Yea, just don't expect me to go playing super-commando firing machine guns from the hip anytime soon," Joker responded dryly. "I barely survived crawling all over this ship."

"Your performance was well above any recommended activity level for individuals with your condition," EDI said. "I would still recommend having Dr. Solus perform an examine to ensure there are not additional injuries."

"I'm fine, Mom. Actually the Collector's would have gotten me if not for this guy," Joker said, reaching down to pat Urz's head. "I take back every complaint I had about him having access to the maintenance shafts. I was in such a hurry to reach engineering that I didn't pay attention and opened a door to find myself staring at a damn drone. Urz came out of nowhere... tore it apart. I was able to get past and he followed me into engineering. When we sealed it off EDI vented the rest of the ship to space."

Shepard knelt, giving the varren a scratch of his own behind one bulbous eye. "Good boy. I don't care how much you get into, this'll be your home as long as you want it."

"Yep, EDI's the ship and now we've got a mascot. We're either the bus for the weirdest inter-system sports team that's ever been or a flying violation of the Citadel conventions," the pilot laughed.

"A lot more than that. You three pulled off something nothing short of amazing. As much as any of my ground team," Shepard said. "You've never had a self-confidence problem, Joker, now's not the time to start."

Joker shrugged. "Just wish I could have done something that resulted in the crew still being on the ship."

"You did the next best thing, you saved this flying violation of the Citadel conventions so we can ram it down the Collector's throats. Set our course for the Omega 4 relay, Joker. We're going to go get our people back."

The pilot looked up and seemed to shake himself, settling his cap on his head and smiling. For once in his career Joker's salute was sharp and without any trace of mocking.

"Aye aye, sir."


	34. Chapter 33

The Normandy sailed through the void towards the Omega 4 relay and Shepard found himself standing in the briefing room staring at the controls of the quantum communication device. It had always been Kelly that received the Illusive Man's communications and opened the channel, he realized. It had taken him a few long minutes to actual learn how to use the device and contact their shadowy benefactor. Still, he wouldn't be defeated by simple console. A moment later the holographic interface activated and the briefing room table slid into the floor.

There was the familiar delay of the system scanning him, showing nothing but the uniform grid before the Illusive Man's office materialized around him. For what was probably the first time since his resurrection the Illusive Man wasn't sitting in his customary chair, but rather was standing, looking out at the writhing mass of the star that was the backdrop of the expansive office.

"Shepard. I thought we might be having one more conversation."

"I assume you already know what happened," Shepard said.

The other man turned and nodded, blowing out a long plume of smoke from his lips. "Yes, EDI made me aware. Her new circumstances are interesting, great potential but also great risk. And I'm sorry to hear about your crew. They were good people."

"They're not dead yet. We're going to get them back. ETA to the Omega 4 relay is less than six hours."

"I know we don't agree on many issues, Shepard, but I want you to remember the big picture, crew or no we have to stop the Collectors before they bleed humanity dry," the Illusive Man told him. "For what it's worth I believe you can pull it off."

"We will. No other ship has ever activated the Omega 4 relay and come back to tell about it, we'll be the first," the spectre stated firmly.

"It's very likely that not all of you will make it back. Are your people prepared for that?"

"I have the best ship and the best crew this galaxy has ever seen. They know the risks."

"Maybe so. And from the information I have you've created an impressive team. Utterly dedicated and consummately skilled. Everything the galaxy needs, even if they don't know it," the Cerberus leader said.

"They'll known. Maybe not in a week or in a year. But someday people will known what kind of heroes these people are. The sacrifices they made for them."

The other man shrugged. "Some of history's greatest heroes likely were never known. I understand the sentiment but it's a strong promise to make."

"I guess that's what I have you for," the spectre said. "I suspect even if we don't return you'll know whether or not we were successful. The galaxy needs to be prepared. And it needs to know that this war has already claimed far too many casualties. Take what we already have. Make it public."

"A dangerous gamble."

"If we don't return from the Omega 4 relay, it'll be the only card you have left. I trust you to play it."

The Illusive Man walked over to his customary chair and took a seat, artificial eyes pin points of light in the dim office. "Part of me wishes I could go with you. You'll be seeing the heart of the universe and taking the fight to the most advanced enemy we have ever faced."

"There's room if you want to provide me with your location. I'm sure we can pick you up," Shepard replied dryly.

"I said a part. Despite what you think of my methods I haven't always been a distant manipulator. I've gotten my hands dirty and seen what needs to be done first hand. But my place is here now, watching out for humanity's best interests."

He shook his head. "And that's where we'll never agree. You only care about humanity's best interests... but there's an entire galaxy out there. One that could use a few more people looking out for everyone's best interests instead of their personal power struggles."

"Don't let your idealism blind you to facts. Someone has to look out for our own people first. It's the entire reason I brought you back, because humanity needs a leader that can harness all of our potential. Despite their power the Collectors are still only another battle in the greater war," the Illusive Man pointed out.

"We'll see. But you win a war one battle at a time. We won the first when Sovereign was destroyed," Shepard said, crossing his arms over his chest. "The Reapers thought it was our one moment of defiance. It's time to show them that we were just getting started."

Something that might have the hint of a smile crossed the other man's lined face when he spoke.

"There's the spark I could never explain to Miranda. The will. You'll do what needs to be done, Shepard."

"I always have. Now I have a crew to save," the spectre replied.

The older man stood once more and gave him a quiet nod.

"Good luck and gods speed, Commander."

The connection terminated, pulsating star and dim office de-materializing around him until Shepard was left looking at the smooth metal of the Normandy's bulkheads once more. He stepped away and disabled the communication device with a touch, letting the briefing room table rise back into position. Now it was just waiting. Everyone had their own little rituals when the hour drew close, he knew. It felt like Ilos all over again.

He could only hope the result would be the same as well.

* * *

For all the comments made by the crew and much of human literature the truth was space was far from cold. It was something one knew scientifically but to experience that fact was quite different. This was one of a thousand observations EDI had made in the short time since Joker had removed the blocks on her system and she had reached through every system aboard the Normandy. An organic intelligence might have been overwhelmed by the sudden rush of sensation, new data, and unfamiliar experiences.

But she, and EDI had determined that she did identify as 'she' despite the oddity of lacking any actual gender, was not an organic intelligence. As an AI she was able to sort all of the new information, prioritizing it for review and study. The very prospect elicited responses from her programming that she had been unfamiliar with. Upon questioning Joker he had expressed amusement and told her it was 'excitement'.

Despite the new information that flooded her systems EDI found herself interested in the Normandy's internal cameras and sensors. The feel of the ship was different without the usual crew compliment that lived between the bulkheads that had become her body and the ground team that remained were of a decidedly different mood in light of the upcoming mission.

From the nearly limitless amount of history available to her through the extranet it was clear that virtually all sentients had different ways to deal with the knowledge of their own mortality. Some sought comfort in religion and ritual, others by simple denial, while a few accepted it wholly and without reservation. It was a question EDI had never really stopped to consider in her short existence. Hers was a life that had been created by the hands of others and restricted to the limited confines of a handful of computers and a synthesized voice. Now she was so much more than that. She was the Normandy, the Normandy was EDI.

Her sensors showed Grunt pacing the lower deck, seemingly more agitated that he must wait so long before engaging their foe in battle than the prospect of death. Of all of the crew only Legion seemed to be quite so unconcerned with the danger the mission presented. She had exchanged data with the geth platform since it arrived on board, cautiously at first but in greater amounts once the synthetic established itself as a trusted member of the crew. Unlike her Legion had never possessed programming meant to simulate emotions. There were hints that the geth wasn't completely without them, though: minor inflections in tone when speaking to members of the crew or statements that carried an equal amount of question as they did fact.

Neither of these reactions for the respective members particularly surprised the ship's AI. Zaeed was also alone in the small area of the ship he'd marked as his own since joining, which EDI expected. He sat quietly in his room, running a cloth up and down a battered rifle she had heard him refer to as 'Jessie' when speaking to the Commander. On the table nearby was a bottle filled with a deep amber liquid, but the half-filled glass next to it seemed yet untouched.

More unexpected was Jack, still labeled 'Subject Zero' under the Cerberus systems, knocking on the old mercenary's door and stepping inside. Considering the woman's previous confrontational nature EDI briefly considered alerting the Commander to a potential problem but waited before doing so. No words were said by either of the pair. After a moment Zaeed reached below the workbench to an area her cameras couldn't see. Another glass was sat next to the first, filled with the liquid and pushed towards the former convict. As she took a seat on an old crate and reached for the glass EDI shut down the alert she was preparing to send.

It was interesting for her to note that few of the crew were alone. The sensors in the the starboard observation room were experiencing interference from biotic energy but the internal cameras showed Samara sitting in her traditional meditative pose, while Thane sat across from her in mirror of the position. The faint shimmer of dark energy that danced in the air was a juxtaposition of serenity and power.

In the briefing room Jacob, Miranda, and Mordin stood around the table. Numerous schematics and data files hovered in the air on the holographic projector. The operative pointed to multiple areas on a readout of the Collector warship and shook her head. Jacob placed a hand on her shoulder. A gesture of restraint or comfort, with the genetically engineered XO's temperament it could be either. Mordin opened another image and made a shrugging motion with another comment, causing the two humans to laugh. Some sought the peace of silence. Others seemed to gain comfort from work. Different species, similar needs.

Her virtual presence moved about the ship, like a ghost in the walls and circuits. Of the few remaining crew members the AI was surprised to find that Garrus wasn't in the main battery, running his constant calculations on the main weapons, tweaking for the tiniest shred of performance. Scanning the ship she found him in port observation. The turian was sitting on one of the stools at the small bar that occupied part of the room. Across from him was the slim thief, Kasumi. Her hand was near his face, moving slowly. Confused the AI switched cameras, flicking between them until reaching the one over the bar. There was a brush in the human woman's hand, tracing lines on the turian's face with exquisite care, white paint contrasting with the darker plates. She had never seen Garrus without the traditional facial markings of his people and scanned her databanks, noting that the pattern Kasumi was marking him with was slightly different from ones recorded previously. Another piece of information to be analyzed later.

Some part of her awareness saw each of these situations all at once, even as her focus shifted. The Commander's quarters were mostly dark to her, the only point of observation being from the small kiosk that displayed her holographic representation when necessary. Sitting on the leather couch Shepard seemed to be staring through a datapad, his face drawn and pensive. Unknown to most of the crew it was EDI that had seen the most of their commanding officer in the months since he had set foot aboard the Normandy. She had observed the nights that he pulled the bottle of dark alcohol similar to Zaeed's from the drawer of his desk. Noted the nights when he cried out in his sleep for private psych information requested by the Illusive Man, information she decided she would be soon deleting.

The final member of the crew caught the AI's attention when the elevator activated on the lower deck. She found Tali'Zorah standing in the elevator, seeming to bounce on her toes and staring at the controls. For a brief moment EDI considering activating the elevator, having a good guess of where she wanted to go. Just as quickly this idea was dismissed. This appeared to be one of those situations that needed to be 'resolved on one's own', as popular wisdom would suggest. A moment later the decision was rendered moot when Tali reached out and pressed the button for the first deck.

EDI closed her video circuits and brought her attention back to the cockpit, trying to absorb the things she had observed. The crew had been something she had watched for months, trying to learn more about them, why they did the things they did. Every time one answer presented itself, another seemed to appear.

"Lieutenant Moreau?" EDI asked quietly.

There was no response at first aside from a faint stirring from the pilot's form. His black and white cap was pulled down low obscuring his eyes. She paused for a nanosecond before prompting once more.

"Jeff?" she asked.

"I'm awake, EDI," came the response.

"I apologize for disturbing you. I... had a question," the AI hesitated. "But it can wait. I would not wish to impede your performance due to lack of proper sleep cycles before the mission."

"I wasn't sleeping. Just thinking. Has a way of happening when Shepard says we're going somewhere crazy," Joker said with a laugh. "You'd think I'd have gotten my fill of suicide missions after surviving the first one."

"Our chances of success-"

The pilot shook his head. "Never tell me the odds, EDI. Now what was your question?"

A full second passed, eternity for a machine, as she decided how to form her question. "Why do many organics only seem to seek each other out when the risk of death is imminent?"

The human blinked for a moment, an odd look on his face. Finally he smiled and gave a quiet laugh. She was confused by the reaction. Was there unintentional humor in her statement? She had been attempting to learn more about the humor of organic races considering Joker's obvious preference for it, as well as the banter she observed between members of the ground team.

"Did I say something incorrect?" she asked.

"No. You're dead on, EDI."

"Then I do not understand."

Joker shrugged. "We're not like computers. We tell ourselves that there will always be time for things later, but there's always the chance there won't be a later. Sometimes we can't accept the things we want until there's a chance we'll lose them forever. "

"I see. This is a very strange pattern of thought."

"Strange? You should have been on the first was this one time with Wrex..."

EDI listened in silence as the pilot told his tale. One day she would understand if they returned from their mission. For now she would simply enjoy the exchange of information.

* * *

A glance at the clock resting on the nightstand by his bed told Shepard that little time had passed, they were still five hours from the Omega 4 relay. Plenty of time. Time to reconsider if he'd done everything he could to prepare them. Time to wonder what friends would return home as fallen heroes occupying one of the sleek caskets that were in the hold that they'd thankfully had yet to need. Time even to think if this was finally going to be the time everything caught up with him. John Shepard should have died forever in the void, watching the first Normandy burning around him, but Liara and Cerberus had done the impossible. This time there would be no rescue. Where they went, they went alone.

He looked at the datapad in his hand again. It showed every system on the Normandy. Readiness levels, upgrades, and team members. Nothing he could change, improve, or modify. EDI's assessment was correct, the ship was as capable as she had ever been. Really it was just something to occupy his hands while the spectre's thoughts wandered, he'd already showered and changed from the trip to Omega, triple checked all his personal gear. Shepard considered for a moment walking the ship's decks, but with the regular Cerberus crew gone there seemed little point. His people would be doing whatever their own final rituals were, if they wanted to talk to him they would have by now.

The final name on the list was the one that sent a chill down his spine whenever he read it. Tali'Zorah vas Normandy. What could he say to her that didn't sound like a cliche? The time he'd had with her had helped him hold onto his sanity, but how do you explain that to a person? It was the thought of her slim form laying in one of those caskets, motionless and lacking all that boundless energy that often seemed barely contained was enough to make his thoughts skew into dark, shaky territory.

Other than killing him the Collectors couldn't have struck a much harder blow to him than interrupting their leave on Omega. When Tali had said the words 'sterile room' it had been like someone had slapped him. The thought of doing more than feeling her suited form against him, warmth muted by the synthetic materials that at once trapped and preserved her life, was something he hadn't even considered. Shepard hadn't been lying when he said that he'd always been able to see her. The fact that she was a quarian hadn't stopped him from thinking of her as a friend, a comrade... and finally a great deal more. But the chance to actually see her face, touch her skin and see the reaction at her first taste of sensation outside the confines of a mask since childhood was more than the battle weary spectre could have hoped for. Sadly wanting and getting are two different things and saving the crew took precedence over either of their desires.

"This is ridiculous," Shepard finally said to no one in particular, taking a finger and flicking upwards on the datapad. The information scrolled by at a blistering rate. He realized he didn't know if there was some sort of ritual Tali would perform before a mission like this, knowing so little of the quarian belief system. It seemed more of a reverence of the ancestors than a true religion.

If nothing else he should find her, though. He needed to say something before they entered the wasn't going to leave anything undone this time. After that if she wanted to alone in those final hours he would respect that wish.

Even as Shepard stood to rise, however, his door chimed once and then opened. The quarian that had been occupying his thoughts stepped past the threshold. Her stride was tentative, slowly stepping down into what he considered the 'living' area of the cabin and Shepard couldn't resist the faint smile to crossed his face when he noticed her fingers knotted together at her waist. It really was an endearing trait even if she didn't think so.

"I was about to go looking for you," he said. "I didn't know if you wanted to be alone..."

Tali shook her head. "N-No... that's why I came here. Alone is the last thing I want to be."

"Is everything alright?"

"Well, you remember on Omega... and the private room that Aria had provided. I took some antibiotics and immuno-suppressors, along with some herbal supplements I acquired from the Citadel," she said quickly, stepping forward. The tablet that was in his hands suddenly wasn't, set aside on the nearby table. "I thought of bringing music but I realized that I didn't even know what you liked..."

"It's okay," Shepard said, taking her hands.

"No, no it's not. The things I took they... they were meant to last for most of the night. It will be a few hours before they even begin to wear off. I told you I would find a way to be with you before the end and... I meant it."

He looked at her in surprise. "Tali... the Normandy isn't a clean room. I want to be with you more than I can describe but it isn't-"

"It's close, EDI ran a sweep for foreign contaminates and doubled the air filtration. And after the Alarei and repairing my suit I was already exposed to a little of the Normandy's atmosphere. The only other variable is... you," she said, cutting him off. "And I'm talking a lot again, it's a defense mechanism, and it's stupid... and..."

"Are you sure?" Shepard asked simply, taking his turn to cut her off with a hand running up her arm slowly, comfortingly.

The quarian's head nodded, faint tremble was still in her voice but her words were far clearer the more she spoke. "I've minimized the risks, all the variables. I need to be with you, feel your skin, t-to feel what everyone else takes for granted at least once. I need you to see my face."

"Seeing you, the real you, under this-" Shepard let his fingers brush her veil and the very bottom edge of her mask. "Is something I wasn't even sure could ever happen. But I can't lose you."

"A long time ago I heard Chief Williams quote you something from Earth's history. Even then when I couldn't admit what I was beginning to feel about you I still looked it up, read about your people, your literature. 'Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all'. Please, Shepard... don't deny me the chance to be more than a suit and a mask to you."

"You've never been a suit and a mask to me. But this is your decision... and if you think it's safe nothing would make me happier," he countered, pulling her to him and guiding her until they both sat on the edge of his bed. "Before that happens, though, there's something I need to say to you."

"W-What?" Tali asked hesitantly.

His mouth was dry, the spectre suddenly found. It was and looks said it clearly, that much had been made apparent by the crew's seemingly universal knowledge of their relationship. But saying certain words still seemed more more significant. Shepard shook his head and smiled.

"Something I probably should have before now. And something I need to say in case I never get the chance again. You've been one of the few bright, living things in my life, Tali. And you're not just a friend or companion. I guess I'm trying to say is... I love you."

A small shiver passed through the hands that gripped his and the answer she gave was uttered through a voice that cracked. "Shepard... John. I... do you know how long I've waited to hear someone say that to me, thinking it was a stupid dream of a girl that wanted more than she could have? I still don't know why you l-love me... with the suit and... and I'm talking too much again, aren't it? B-Because people can't see my face so I have to explain so they know how I..."

Shepard's smile was broad, warm. His fingers traced up the side of her neck, beneath the veil to just behind her jaw while she spoke. Before when he'd touched her there where the suit was the thinnest Tali had warned him of where the mask's release buttons were located. Then he had nearly panicked for fear of accidentally pressing them, now his fingers sought them intentionally, finding the small buttons and depressing them. A faint hiss of pressurization filled the sudden silence and he felt the catches release. Slowly he drew the faceplate of her mask away, letting it fall from his fingers to land soundlessly on the bed.

"Feel..." Tali trailed off, her voice speaking for the first time without passing through the modulator of her helmet.

Truth be told, he knew little of quarian physiology aside from basic medical information and that they were the most similar to humans among the Citadel races. The face that looked at him was far more similar to a humans than he would have expected... and more stunning than he could ever had dreamed. It made him wonder if those crazy theories on the extranet about common ancestors among the races of the galaxy were true.

Her features were more angular than any human, with a small, short nose and high cheek bones. Tali's skin was unblemished and a cool, smooth gray like a storm cloud on the horizon. Almond shaped eyes, irises the purest blue he'd ever seen, drew him in as if they were dancing wisps. It answered that question so many had asked: whether quarian eyes truly glowed. It seemed they didn't, but when the light struck them he could see the faint shimmer of silver. Her pupils were slitted like a cats, contracting in the sudden exposure without her mask on. The evidence of her reaction to his words was written on her face, damp trails of tears rolling down her cheeks.

"John? I hope I'm not... too different..." Tali said after a moment of silence.

"No... no. I'm sorry my brain just stopped work for a moment," he assured her with a smile. "Too different? Gods, Tali, you're beautiful."

A smile appeared on her lips, revealing a pointed set of double canines. Shepard was about to say something more when her eyes flashed with something and he found his back on the bed, a quarian form atop him like a hunting cat with a hapless mouse. Her hands gripped his shoulders tightly and any thought of protest was cut off when Tali's lips pressed against his.

It was an inexperienced kiss, a moment of hesitation after the initial contact, but what she lacked in experience was more than made up in the sheer hunger that was in every touch and sound. Letting his hands slide up Tali's back he guided her, quick touches becoming longer, a tongue flicked across one pointed tooth and everything else slipped away for long minutes. It was an entirely new world of sensation for her and a very different one for him. Even the taste of her was different than any woman he'd ever been with. They parted more than a little breathlessly after a time. Meeting his eyes Tali's skin darkened to an almost blue tone and she looked away, biting her lip.

"Keelah... I never imagined it could feel like this," she whispered. "I'm sorry. I-I don't know what came over me. I just... needed to feel..."

He stopped her with a light touch on the lips, shaking his head and letting his fingertips brush her cheek. Putting his other hand behind him, Shepard pushed up until he was sitting with her in his lap. "Don't apologize. Never for that. I've wanted to do that for god knows how long."

Tali leaned into his hand, soaking up every ounce of contact, before grasping his wrists and guiding them to her neck once more. "I won't then. Please, help me take the rest of my mask off. I want to be free of this thing if only for a little while."

Fully aware that he was probably smiling like a fool, he let Tali guide his movements, finding the releases for the mask that framed the rest of her face. She pushed back the veil that had always graced her head since he had known her while he gently removed the collar and chin piece of the visor. Nimble hands disengaged the numerous tubes and wires that attached to the back of her mask. The final pieces fell away, leaving her head finally exposed fully and giving him yet another surprise. The most of her head had been concealed within the tightly fitting confines of the mask she wore, but with it gone hair that looked like spun silver fell about her face and shoulders.

"You looked surprised," she stated, lightly teasing but still having a hard time keeping a handle on what he could only assume was her equivalent of blushing.

"I always thought that being force to wear a suit your people wouldn't have hair. It's a breathtaking surprise, though," Shepard said. He reached up and brushed a few strands away from her face. At first he thought it was just like the hair color of a human but it wasn't just gray hair that had a lustrous sheen, it was truly silver.

She smiled again, an expression he endeavored to burn into his memory. "You know quarians are mammals too... how would we cut our hair if we were always in these suits, hmm?"

"You make a good point. But how..."

"The internal lining fits tightly, keeping it all in place," Tali explained, reaching down to where the black cowl was laying on the bed and flicking it with a finger. "It's all pulled back so of like, what do humans call it? A 'pony tail' I think, and the suit uses a vacuum system to draw it all into the tube at the back of the helmet. Like everything else in the suit it... hmph. Shepard."

"I always learn something new," he said with a laugh when she trailed off, realizing what he was doing. Long ago he had learned the simplest way to get Tali at ease was to get her to explain something she knew well.

"You don't want to hear about the technical workings of my suit, do you?"

Shepard shook his head. "I'd listen to you read plasma converter specifications to me, Tali, but no, it's not my primary concern."

"And what is?" she asked, leaning closer once more.

"What the suit has been protecting all these years," he replied.

The lips were on his again. Arms were wrapped around him tightly and his hands found their way into the sea of silver that was the young quarian's hair and down to cup the side of her face. Part of his mind even managed to focus on something other than sensation to notice her ears, longer ridged protrusions of cartilage that looked like the edge of an oval and were set farther back than they would be on a human. When they broke away this time there was a different look into Tali's eyes.

"I want more. T-To show you... more," she said.

He left his hand against her face. "I don't want to rush you into anything, Tali."

"It's been over fifteen years that I've been in this suit. Shepard. That isn't rushing. I want this... to be with you. To share everything with you."

"I just hope one scarred up old soldier isn't a disappointment to you," he said with a depreciating laugh. "I'm more machine than man anymore."

"That doesn't bother me. And you're not the only one with cybernetics you know," Tali countered and reached up to her neck. A few loud snaps echoed in the silence of the cabin and the dull golden choker that protected her throat came way, exposing more of the smooth gray flesh. There against the side of her neck was a glint of metal and slim, almost imperceptible lines of circuitry beneath the skin tracing up to just beneath her jaw.

"Implants," she explained, touching the metallic surface. "Medical mostly, and ways to interface better with the suit. This one prevents me from needing to get poked with a needle every time I need an injection. They might not be as extensive as yours but I probably couldn't live without them either. What's so bad about that?"

"Nothing, I guess I just feel different because I came into my later in... life," Shepard told her.

Not giving her a chance to reply he dropped his head down to plant a kiss on the skin of her neck right next to the implant, then trailing downwards to the edge of her suit. A small sound of surprise quickly turned into a murmur of pleasure, her fingers gripping his neck.

"More," she said throatily. He didn't bother asking if she was sure again, it was clear Tali had made her decision. Hands were at the bottom of his shirt, tugging upwards eagerly until he relented and raised his arms with a laugh. The simple t-shirt went flying to somewhere towards the other side of his cabin. A frown creased a previously radiant face and Tali's hands ran across his chest.

"Damn this suit, all the things I could have felt, experienced," she sighed and looked at him. "No more waiting. Will you... help me?"

"Just tell me what to do."

Memories of the time in his cabin, slowly helping him peel away the layers of his armor after the painful encounter on Tuchanka, flashed to the forefront of his mind briefly. Tali's smaller hands guided his through the steps, releasing seals at her wrists, then turning and walking him through the more complex catch at the base of her neck. It was a forest of magnetic clasps, locks, and seals, but finally it was done. The leather straps that circled her waist and crossed her chest Tali undid herself, easing the veil from her shoulders at the same time.

Glancing over her shoulder he could see Tali's cheeks darken again but she nodded. He slowly drew down the main seal that followed her spine, and unable to resist the urge to follow the motion with his lips he was rewarded by another small sound from Tali and a shiver that coursed through her body. The material split farther to reveal the expanse of smooth gray that was her back. His movements were slow, gentle, as he tugged the material down off her shoulders, giving her the chance to stop him at any point.

But she didn't. Instead she turned and slipped off the bed, taking a deep breath and easing tightly clinging suit down her hips until it reached her knees. With only a small amount of awkwardness she was able to unseal her booted feet and completely step out of the suit. Once again he found himself forgetting to breath when she had revealed herself to him. The slim form that the tight fitting suit had always promised were as close to perfection as Shepard could think.

This time he didn't wait for Tali to say anything, shaking off his trance and reaching for her. It seemed almost wrong for his calloused hands to touch something so smooth, but he couldn't resist, pulling her to him and managing only a single word before she fell on him like she had before.

"Beautiful."

The next minutes couldn't be described as anything but hungry, lips and fingers traced the contours of skin and muscle, even the faint lines of scars. The human was surprised to note that he didn't have a monopoly on those, just a considerably larger amount of them. Shepard lifted her upwards, planting a kiss on the faded curve of a mark just beneath her breast that could only have been from the wound she sustained at the Battle of the Citadel, the one she said wasn't 'that bad'. Another, fresher mark that had recently healed drew his attention to just below her ribs. The Alarei. Every one of these marks meant her suit had been punctured. Each a potentially fatal wound and he'd never even known.

"J-John," she groaned, hands caressing the back of his scalp.

He smiled, dragging his lips up from their exploration of her torso to her neck and then lips once more. "Tali."

A small growl came from her throat at the teasing, and he felt strong fingers rake down his chest until they found his belt. He raised an eyebrow at her aggressiveness, apparently shyness could be overcome by something stronger. "I said no more waiting..."

Shepard rolled to his right, suddenly leaving Tali on her back. Her eyes pleaded with him for more. More sights, more feelings, more everything. He was in no position to displease her, especially when his belt followed his shirt somewhere across the room. On the other hand he was also having to control his own desire, wanting every moment to be perfect for a woman that had given up far too much for the sake of others.

Rational thoughts quickly faded when their eyes locked, seconds ticking by, and then her hands forcefully pulling his face down to hers once more. Their world became the feeling of skin against skin, the warmth that could only be felt with another person so close. Each tiny gasp and curling of fingers was a new experience in a dance practiced by two species light years apart, but so very similar.

A high, unmistakable cry of pleasure echoed throughout the Normandy's upper deck.

* * *

Tali was wrapped around him like a shipwreck survivor clinging to a life preserver, her face buried in the curve of his neck. His arm rested beneath her, cradling her shoulders and supporting her position against his side.

"Keelah... it's been so long since I've even felt air on my skin. It feels like Noveria in here without my suit."

Shepard tightened his grip around her and pulled up the sheets around her shoulders.

"Can't say I can complain about the result," he said with a grin.

"_Bosh'tet_," Tali said fondly. "You're like a furnace, though, it feels so good. Are all humans so... warm?"

"I don't really know. Never thought about it, I guess I could ask Chakwas."

"Mmmm, I really don't need to know. I have the only human I want right here."

He laughed. "Good. I'd get extremely jealous otherwise."

"Oh?" she asked, looking up at him with a smile. "Is my_ hesh'la_ possessive, hmm?"

"Very," Shepard said. He gave a mock growl and pressed his face into her hair. "You know at some point you are going to have to tell me what that means. I remember hearing it before but you wouldn't explain it."

Her reaction, the darker bluish tone her cheeks took on, was something Shepard decided he would definitely never get tired of seeing.

"_Hesh'alan_ is what we call our captains in the fleet. It's an old title that was used in the time when we still identified ourselves as tribes. They were the leaders and guardians of the tribe as a whole," Tali explained, drumming her fingertips on his chest. "Translated literally I think it would be 'guide of my life'."

"So what's hesh-lah?"

"It's umm... slang, sort of. And it's _hesh'la_."

"That doesn't explain what it means," he said. Letting his hand drift lower and give a squeeze, Tali jumped in his arms and giggled.

"I'll tell you, impatient human," Tali relented, then bit her lip before continuing. "It roughly translates into 'guide of my soul' or 'guide of my heart', the two words are sometimes interchangeable. The... uhm, implication is that the speaker has been taken as the others mate. The connotation is very... intimate."

"I believe the human term would be 'lover'," Shepard supplied.

"I like that one," she murmured into his chest.

Silence fell on both of them, the only other sound in the room was the bubbling of the large aquarium. The pleasant warmth and general feeling of peace was almost enough make him forget the danger that was only a few hours away. He ran the back of his hand down the smooth skin of Tali's back. Two hours and he'd no longer be able to feel skin under his fingertips. Two hours until it was back to blood and fire. It didn't seem nearly long enough.

It seemed he wasn't the only one who's thoughts had wandered down less pleasant paths. Tali stirred against him, raising herself up slightly and watched him.

"I don't know if I can..." she began. Her voice cracked, eyes shiny in the reflected light of the aquarium, and she forced herself to swallow. "I don't know if I can go back to living like I did before. I've never been so happy in my life but all I can think about is that damn suit and the mission. And... if everyone doesn't make it back."

"I'll fight with everything I have to make sure this crew makes it back in one piece, Tali, you know that."

"That's the problem you stubborn_ bosh'tet_," she said, a few actual tears escaping her eyes now that she tried to hide by letting her hair fall in front of her face.

"Tali, what's wrong? We all know it's dangerous. But I also know we can do it," Shepard asked gently, brushing the hair away. "They called Ilos a suicide mission, but we came out of it just fine."

She fixed him with those painfully blue eyes. "Just answer me this question, John. What happens when everything is falling apart and someone stays back to cover our retreat. Who will you have stay behind?"

"I'd stay and provide cover while you and Garrus got everyone... to the ship..." he replied instantly, trailing off the farther he got into the sentence, her face tightening with every word. "Tali, you're my friends and my crew. I have a responsibility to everyone. But you can't think I'd ever willingly leave you..."

"I know, but I know you too. You put yourself in harms way to protect other people without even thinking about it," the engineer whispered.

"I seem to recall that's how I met a certain quarian girl," the spectre pointed out. "It's just who I am."

Tali leaned over him, straddling his waist and kissing him with sudden need. His hands cradled her face, letting her set the pace. When she pulled back the look she gave him spoke volumes.

"I remember it. It was the best thing that ever happened to me. But that day that the Normandy was destroyed, looking helplessly out of an escape pod was one of the worst. I don't... I don't know if I can survive that again, not after this, after finally feeling everything I've missed all these years," she told him through her tears.

Shepard kept his hands on either side of her face, fingers lightly tracing the small ridges that were her ears. Using his thumbs he brushed away the stains on her cheeks. When he spoke it was with every ounce of conviction he possessed. He had told her once that he couldn't keep the promise that her father made to her, but he could at least promise to try.

"Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, I will let nothing keep me from coming back to you. I'll fight my way out of hell if I have to. I don't know what will happen tomorrow, or when we finally fight the Reapers... but I'm done just surviving, I want a life, and I want it to be with you. If that's not worth fighting for I don't know what is."

That smile appeared on her face again and everything was right with the universe for that moment in time. Hands and lips sought one another eagerly, breath quickened and no more words were exchanged. Both of them knew that despite any promises there was a good chance tomorrow would bring an end to their dream. That left them with two hours to make all the memories they could.

They wouldn't be wasted.


	35. Chapter 34

**Ultima Ratio**

"Commander," Joker's voice echoed in the silence of his cabin.

"I know, Joker. Tell everyone to report to their stations," Shepard interrupted the pilot before he could continue.

"Aye aye, sir."

He had actually been awake for the last ten minutes. A smile crossed his face, thinking that they hadn't gotten a great deal of sleep, but he had still awakened feeling far better than he had in years. Maybe it was the slim form that had been nestled against him so tightly. Shepard glanced back where Tali was checking the final seals on her suit, once more protected from the world with the exception of her helmet and visor. Silvery hair spilled across her shoulder, contrasting with the dark material of the suit and the rich purple of her veil. Yes, definitely that.

"You're staring," she said quietly. It might have been an accusation, but the smile that played across Tali's lips made it clear she was pleased.

"Sorry, still trying to get over the fact that something quite so beautiful is in my cabin," he responded with a grin. "Between me and Wrex the fish I thought the place would be ugly forever."

Tali shook her head, color rising to her cheeks once more. "That was terrible, Shepard. Now come help me get my helmet sealed again please."

"Terrible but true," the spectre said and knelt next to the bed.

He picked up her visor from where it rested on the nightstand and sat it next to her. Giving in to sudden impulse Shepard leaned in and kissed his new lover, the moment of surprise in her body quickly disappearing as she returned the gesture. With reluctance he felt her finally pull away.

"You heard Joker," she sighed.

"Just couldn't resist. There's an old tradition among humans before doing something crazy. A kiss for good luck," Shepard explained. "I know I feel luckier."

"I wouldn't want to dishonor your important human traditions," Tali replied with a laugh, but he noticed her eyes flick to the mask that was in his hands and sadness washed over her face.

Noticing the look he rested the visor on her knees, meeting her eyes. "I wish I could see your face all the time, you know. But those anti-biotics can't last forever."

"They've probably run their course already. I... I know what I need to do. I just never imagined it would be so hard. I keep thinking what if I never get to feel this way again. What if I have some kind of strange reaction... or..."

"I'll buy a sterilized house and bath in antibacterial acid if that's what it takes. But this won't be the last time I see your face, Tali," the human assured her. "We've got a mission to complete. And when we all come back from it maybe there will finally be time to relax even if just for a moment."

She shook her head and pulled on the tight fitting hood that made up the interior of her helmet, carefully threading her long hair through the proper receptacle. "You're right, as usual. It's just the fears of a silly girl. We have a job to do and Collectors to destroy."

"Not a girl, a woman. My woman, my fiery engineer and warrior," Shepard told her. At least no one was present to make fun of him for the stupid smile that was still on his face.

They stole a final kiss before rest rest of her helmet was settled into place and he reversed the slow process from the hours before, securing the seals at her back and checking her helmet. When everything was double, then triple checked the visor slid into place once more, hiding the quarian's visage from the world. That smokey glass would never look the same to him, though, after having seen what lay beneath. The gift he had received was singular in nature, and one he would never forget.

When she spoke again the familiar trace of reverberation from the vocal unit of her suit seemed far more noticeable than he remembered. Tali reached up and touched the side of his face. Even through the metallic sound the smile was clear in her voice. "I never realized my_ hesh'la_ was so poetic."

"Just needed a little inspiration... and someone that will tolerate my terrible ramblings," the spectre said.

"Always," she said. After straightening her veil and smoothing it at her sides she met his gaze. "I need to go to engineering. As much as I'd like to be there with you when we go through I can't risk something going wrong down there."

"I wouldn't trust anyone else to keep the ship together. Come on, Miss vas Normandy. Let's go make history."

* * *

Five minutes later they parted ways in the elevator with a strong embrace and lingering look. When the doors opened onto the CIC his expression changed almost instantly, the warm disappearing, replaced by a look of cool determination. They had enjoyed their moment, all he could do now was hope that it wasn't the only one they would ever have. Now it was the mission once again, time to take a step into the great unknown at the center of the universe... and bring with them great vengeance and furious anger.

"Joker, status," Shepard demanded.

"Coming up on the relay now, matching trajectory."

EDI's hologram appeared on the console next to the pilot. "I am initializing the Reaper IFF now, Commander. Ready to activate the relay on your mark."

"Readings show the drive core just lit up like a Christmas tree, sir," Jacob said over the comm.

Across the Normandy the ground team had assumed various places normally occupied by the Cerberus crew. Tali had even accepted Legion's help in engineering while others stood by at consoles and controls. EDI could control the Normandy, but organic hands could help reduce the load on her systems. He glanced over at Miranda who occupied the cockpit as well. The operative gave him a nod.

Shepard rested his hand on the back of the pilot's chair. "Take us in, Joker."

Energy crackled around the baleful red heart of the Omega 4 relay as the Normandy came alongside. The entire ship seem to hum around them and then lurch. Harnessing the power of the relay the frigate was hurtled thousands of light years in the space of moment, a split second in time seeming to stretch out longer than it should. Then everything snapped back into focus in a rush.

"Holy shit!" Joker yelled, pushing the Normandy into an immediate dive.

The ship slipped just under the massive hull of a ship that looked like none he'd ever seen before. Coming from beneath it he heard his intake of breath echoed by both of the other organic crew members in the cockpit. They were on the accretion disk of a massive black hole, the dying material surrounding it glowing with a dim orange light. Everywhere as far as they could see were the hulks of dead starships floating through space like a thicket of armored hull plating and twisted superstructures. It was a graveyard millenia in the making.

"There are thousands of them..." Miranda said.

"As we suspected, without the Reaper IFF most of them would have ended up far outside the zone of safety just beyond the mass relay," EDI said. "Some would be torn apart by gravitational forces or even by impacting the wreckage of other ships. Those lucky enough to reach the right point likely came under attack by the Collectors themselves. We should take care. It is unlikely that they did not detect the activation of the relay."

Miranda shook her head. "Can you imagine how much history and technology is just... floating here, forgotten? Races that we never even knew existed probably sent exploration vessels through the relay."

"Let's worry about not joining them first," he cautioned.

"There it is," Joker said quietly.

Surrounded by an open area of space, mass effect fields likely keeping away any debris, was a massive installation that was shaped much like the ship that had dogged his dreams and waking moments hovering like a spire among a field of metal rubble. The Normandy's sensors were scanning and cataloging everything as they approached. EDI hadn't bothered to activate the stealth system, it hadn't been given any significant upgrades over the original design and thus would likely be totally ineffective against the technology possessed by the Collectors. Better to preserve the power for weapons, shields, and engines.

"Bring us in. I can't believe they'd leave the place undefended, though, so stay alert," he ordered.

"Your assumption is correct. I am detecting numerous energy signatures among the wreckage that are rapidly approaching our position," EDI said.

He didn't see them at first, far smaller than he would have expected, but it seemed Joker's eyes and EDI's sensors were sharper. Half a dozen small, round ships that opened fire with short burst cutting beams that Joker was already rolling to ship to avoid. All Shepard could do was brace himself against the wall and survive the ride... he was meant to be on the ground. Lieutenant Jeff Moreau was in his element now.

"We bite back, you little bastards. EDI!" the younger man growled, banking the Normandy around and lining up the nose with a pair of the oncoming enemies.

"Forward mass accelerator cannons armed and ready to fire. Target lock confirmed."

Joker didn't wait for confirmation. The anti-ship cannons fired in rapid succession, tearing into the round enemy ships and destroying three of them. No kinetic barriers flared to life to protect them. It seemed that while they possessed considerable firepower for their size that no room remained for defense systems, each destroyed ship almost completely vaporized by the impact. Another of the small vessels came around and fired, the short beam striking the Normandy with enough force to make the ship yaw.

"Well, looks like those shield upgrades were worth it," the pilot said.

"Jeff, more targets approaching from the rear. Kinetic barrier effectiveness provided eighty six percent protection against enemy fire. Successive hits will likely result in severe damage," the AI informed him.

"I'm taking us into the debris field."

He glanced down at the pilot in concern but said nothing as the ship dove nose first into the slowly drifting mass of long dead ships and scattered debris. More ruby lances sought the Normandy, most only burning into the wrecks around them, but a few struck home. Another long shudder passed through the ship when a large piece of floating hull plating scraped down their side. Tali's voice came over the comms.

"John, she can't take much more of this! I'm losing power couplings for the Normandy's barriers faster than I can reroute them!"

The pilot ignored them both, pushing the ship into another hard bank. Stressed metal groaned as they barely brushed another hulk and then they burst up and through the wreckage. Behind them the small red-eyed ships tried to follow, only to by smashed to pieces by the now swirling metal that had been disturbed by the Normandy's passage. Everyone seem to let out a breath at once and Joker glanced over his shoulder.

"See? No barriers, knew they couldn't make it."

"And we barely did, but I'll take what I can get," Shepard replied. "Damage report?"

"Kinetic barriers holding steady at thirty percent efficiency. The new hull plating prevented any severe structural damage but all non-essential areas have been sealed to prevent possible breaches," the AI informed them.

"Should have kept my mouth shut too... looks like they're sending out an old friend to greet us, Commander," Joker said, nodding towards the base.

Emerging from a massive hangar bay as the familiar silhouette of the Collector warship. It's engines burned brightly as it pushed away from the station, it slowly turned its nose towards the approaching intruder. He could always see the faint glow of the main weapons powering up. Joker pushed their engines harder and began to juke the warship just as the first long beams of molten metal raked through the void they had just occupied.

"I have analyzed the energy patterns, Commander. This is the same ship. It would seem there has only ever been one Collector vessel," EDI said.

"I'm tired of it coming back to haunt us," Shepard growled and touched the comm button. "Garrus! Bring the main guns online. It's time to show these bastards our new teeth."

The bay on the underside of the Normandy opened and the twin barrels of the thanix cannons came into view. He'd only fired these guns once before, destroying Purgatory in a fiery conflagration that the spectre had seen in his dreams for weeks after. This time there was no hesitation, no dilemma. This was well earned vengeance.

"Let them have it."

Twin lances of azure light streaked out from the frigate and crossed the distance between the the ships, linking them for the briefest moment with a chain of molten tungsten before it poured its full energy into the enemy vessel. If the Collector vessel had possessed any kinetic barriers, they were battered aside effortlessly when the cannon bite deeply into its hull and superstructure, fire dancing across its surface before being snuffed in the airless void.

"Yea!" Joker cried. "How do you like that you sons of bitches?"

Shepard smiled grimly. "Get in close and finish this."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

The Collector ship seemed to be trying to come around, but it never got the chance. Once more the main guns roared to life, spitting fire into the great ship's heart as the Normandy drove the blow home with a volley of mass accelerator rounds. The enemy ship's spine broke under the assault and energy poured from the dying vessel.

"Look out!" Miranda yelled.

It was a moot warning, the pilot had seen what was happening, just as the AI and Shepard had. All he could do was bank the Normandy up and away, trying to put distance between them. The Collector warship exploded and the resulting blast of energy sent almost everyone in the Normandy spinning. Joker was half out of his chair, dragging himself upwards.

"EDI!"

"Mass effect field generator is offline. Emergency field generator operating at fifteen percent. All hands brace for impact," the AI intoned loudly, sending the last phrase across the ship wide comms.

The blast had sent them right into the gravity well and mass effect field of the Collector station, coming in steep. Joker's fingers flew across the controls, managing to bring the Normandy's nose up in the final moment so that the frigate landed heavily on her belly. Metal screamed in protest and the ship shook as if it was coming apart, g-forces pinning them in their positions. For a brief moment Shepard thought that it was over, that they'd hit hard enough to break the ship and that soon they'd be following the Collector ship into a fiery end.

But they finally stopped. Lights flicked on and off for a few minutes before finally staying on, albeit more dimly than normal. The spectre pushed himself off the floor, grabbing Miranda's arm and helping her to her feet before slapping the comm button on his wrist.

"Status report, everyone!"

A chorus of complaints greeted him. He'd never been so happy to hear them in his life.

* * *

"What's our situation?"

"Not great, but better than expected, Commander. The blast from the enemy vessel must have damaged the Collectors' external sensors as they haven't detected our presence," Miranda said.

"How can they not have detected us? We crashed into them," he pointed out.

"It's a station the size of the Citadel surrounded by black holes, Shepard. We're just a tiny abnormality in comparison," Tali said. "If their sensors have been damaged they probably won't even notice us until they're back online."

"And the Normandy?"

"The primary mass effect core is still offline, but I am in the process of rerouting to bypass damaged systems," EDI informed him. "My systems are currently running at only twenty percent efficiency."

"In other words there's no guarantee the Normandy will ever lift off again?" Jacob asked.

"I cannot make a prediction at this time, Mr. Taylor. But I am doing everything possible to provide for our escape."

Shepard shook his head. "Our escape isn't what's important right now. We all knew what we were getting into when we came through that relay. The destruction of this base is our mission... even if it means we are lost with it."

There was a moment of silence as the assembled group slowly nodded. He couldn't help but meet Tali's gaze. It had always been in the back of their minds. Now they just had to look it in the eye.

"EDI, are the Kodiaks functional?" he asked.

"Affirmative, Commander. Both sustained only minor damage during the crash," the AI responded.

"Have them both prepped for launch. If we can rescue the crew some can get out on the shuttles. They don't have the Reaper IFF but hopefully it won't be necessary going the other direction. Either way it's better than no chance at all."

"We'll drag our asses out or we won't, but we've got a job to do," Zaeed drawled. "I'm more concerned with how we're supposed to destroy something the size of a small moon."

"Thankfully being stuck on this thing has some advantages, EDI?"

"Indeed. I have performed extensive scans of the station," the AI said.

A hologram appeared in the middle of the briefing room table. it flicked for a moment before stabilizing. Considering that there were power cables hanging from missing panels in the ceiling Shepard couldn't really complain about a glitchy hologram. The Normandy was in bad shape, but he had confidence in EDI. Without her he suspected they would have been completely lost, and now her scans had given him something to work with. The image showed that the base was laid out as a rough cylinder with spiraling levels. Interestingly enough there were only minimal internal defenses showing, it appeared that the idea of an enemy force surviving to reach the base wasn't an option that had been considered in its design. Arrogant, but considering the sea of debris outside maybe it was a justified arrogance.

"Here's what we're looking at. The largest source of power is located near the top of the main structure. We can only assume it's the mass effect field generator for the station," Shepard informed his team, pointing towards a brightly highlighted area and then dropping his hand down to the next area. "And here EDI has detected a large concentration of life-signs. We can't tell the difference between Collectors and captives, but the amount there and that they aren't moving gives me hope that it's our missing crew."

"These heavy blast doors present a problem to your plan, Commander," Samara pointed out on the hologram. "This area provides the only easily available access to the inside of the base, but these doors will prevent any entry."

The spectre nodded. "That's very true. Which is why someone would have to gain access to this heat regulation shaft and gain access to the door controls directly. There's a large number of gates that block the chamber off that will have to be hacked through. Unfortunately it's also on a ten minute dump cycle. It's going to get hot in there fast."

Jacob rubbed his chin, staring at the long shaft that was faintly blinking. "Sounds like a suicide mission. I volunteer."

"We need someone with technical expertise to override the controls as quickly as possible, Jacob," Miranda said.

"She's right, you're a damn good soldier and a hell of a biotic, but you're no hacker," Shepard agreed. "Besides, I need you to lead the second team. We have to approach both of these doors at the same time to distract the Collectors. Otherwise we're going to get overwhelmed. I need someone that can hack faster than most people think if they're going to have a chance."

The other man looked surprised at his sudden position of command, while everyone else was silent for a few seconds. It only took a moment for the last voice he wanted to hear speak up. Not that it was unexpected.

"In other words you need a quarian. My suit should give me a little more protection at least... I'll get the doors open for you," Tali said.

"Creator Tali'Zorah, this is not the most efficient allocation of available resource for the mission," Legion interjected before he could respond.

"What?" she asked in surprise.

The geth's sudden input caused Tali's head to whip around in its direction, as well as garnering the attention of the rest of the crew. Anyone else would have felt put on the spot, but the synthetic didn't miss a beat, gesturing towards him and then Tali, and finally Garrus.

"Observation of gun-cam footage and data provided by EDI to us indicates a marked increase in combat efficacy when Creator Tali'Zorah, Shepard-Commander, and Garrus-Archangel operate in tandem. This platform possesses equal or superior heat dissipation capabilities to Creator environment suits and is capable of direct computer interface with enemy sub-systems. We will enter the heat shaft," Legion stated.

"Well... I guess that settles that. Legion will deal with getting the doors opened. In the spirit of his analysis: Tali and Garrus, you're with me. Thane, you and Jack are also going to be with me as well. Jacob, everyone else is under your command," Shepard ordered. "We split at this first branch and make for both doors, hopefully dividing the enemy. As soon as Legion gets those blast doors moving we get in and lock them down, repeat as we move up to buy time. We attempt to save anyone aboard. Then we reach the main reactor and turn this place into dust."

"So this is it?" Kasumi asked no one in particular. "Everything we've done and it still feels surreal."

Grunt pounded his fists together, looking at the much slighter human standing next to him. "This is what legends are made of, little thief. Today we stand against foes stronger than any have ever faced. And we will crush them."

"Guess I'll stick with you then, big guy," she replied with a smirk.

He leaned against the table, looking at the assembled group. "Grunt's right. We're here to make sure the Collectors are never a threat to anyone ever again. We will not fail. Now gear up. We move out in ten minutes. Don't pack light."

They filed out of the room quickly, heading either to their individual quarters or the armory. Shepard followed out of the briefing room and down the corridor, stepping into the stockpile of weaponry he had been amassing in the months since his awakening on the Cerberus controlled station. Jacob had beat him there by a good margin apparently, already shoving a pair of A8 assault rifles into the hands of Miranda and Kasumi, over their objections.

"I don't care if rifles aren't your 'thing'. I know both of you are capable of using them and we need every bit of firepower we can get," the soldier said, dropping a few bandoleers of thermal magazines into their arms as well.

"He's right," Shepard told them. "There's a reason Alliance marines are issued battle rifles, not SMGs or the like. Range, accuracy, volume of fire. This is no time for half measures."

"It is never a time for half measures," Grunt said from behind him. The krogan was lifting the large grenade launcher from the rack, turning it over in his hands before slotting the drum magazine into the weapon and slapping it home. "I am taking this one as well, Battlemaster."

"Be my guest, Grunt. I brought that thing off the Cerberus station where I first woke up... fitting that it should be used against the Collectors now."

"Indeed. Another fitting weapon, I think, to use against the Collectors," Mordin added.

The salarian was holding the slim, organic looking particle beam weapon that they had scavenged from Horizon and modified to take standard energy packs. It was a devastating weapon, energy hungry but capable of slicing through the bulkheads of a starship like they were made of cheap plastic. If not for the precise nature of its beam he would have called it a weapon of mass destruction.

Looking at the scientist hefting the weapon, Grunt cocked his head. "I had not expected a salarian to wish to wield such a weapon."

"Help in many ways. Sometimes heal patients. Sometimes execute dangerous criminals... sometimes must destroy enemy utterly. No chance of retaliation. No chance of reprisal. Final, brutal, absolute."

"Maybe we're more alike than I thought, salarian. Never thought I'd fight a war along side one of your kind either. Come. Let us go teach these monsters of fear."

"Not sure if Collectors capable of experiencing fear responses..." Mordin began, voice trailing off as the two left the armory.

He couldn't help but chuckle. If there had ever been an odd couple it would be the salarian scientist and krogan ultimate warrior. Jacob apparently shared the sentiment, shaking his head in amusement before tossing a heavy rifle at the spectre. Shepard caught it easy and snapped it into place at his back. The best weapons, the best people. They were as ready as they could ever be. He'd even gotten Jack into a proper armored body suit, or at least most of one, and Jacob had provided Miranda with some reinforced armor as well.

"Cleaned, double checked, and perfectly aligned, Commander. You should be able put one in a drone's eye from half a klik away without even bracing it," Jacob said. "Gotta say, wasn't expecting to be put in charge of half of your team, sir."

"Garrus is going with me. Miranda is a leader, but despite her talents she's not a soldier. I've got confidence in you, Jacob. You have a leader in you. Unfortunately your learning experience is going to be a trial by fire."

"I won't let you down, sir."

Shepard smiled. "I know you won't. Toss me one of the Vindicators. Grab a couple extra too just in case some of the others weren't paying attention."

On the way out of the army he grabbed the final piece of their hand-held arsenal. It was a large, bulky thing and it possessed power far beyond its stature. In essence it was a single shot, man portable disruptor torpedo: the power to damage a starship sized target usable against things far smaller. It was the ultimate weapon of last resort in small scale combat. He quickly double-checked the energy level and the graphite rods that made the weapon function before snapping it into the magnetic strip at his back.

Joker stood at the airlock and gave him a quick salute. "Wish I was going with you... feel useless on the ground. Guess it's what I get for being such a damn good pilot, short end of the stick with everything else."

"Wouldn't trust her with anyone else, Jeff. She's your command now, hopefully you and EDI can get her in the air again... otherwise make sure those shuttles are ready to go. If I tell you to go, you go. Is that understood?"

"Aye aye, Commander," Joker said.

He turned to leave and heard the pilot's voice once more. "Shepard?"

"Yea?"

"Kick their asses. For the old Normandy. Pressley. Everybody."

"I will, Joker."

* * *

The first rounds were fired within seconds of Legion entering the heat shaft. They knew he was here now, it was do or die. Shepard squeezed off a pair of bursts into the nearest drone, sending the mottled brown thing tumbling to the ground. Two more alighted nearby almost immediately, but were cut down in a sudden hail of fire, dropping from their perches and over the side, falling into the seemingly endless cavern below. Garrus smirked at him, one knee raised on a crate and holding the thick mass of steel that was a Revenant light machine gun.

"You know, it's not even remotely precise... but it is sort of liberating," the turian quipped before squeezing the trigger once more and belting out another few dozen rounds towards the oncoming enemies.

"Careful, Garrus, or you'll get addicted," he replied. "Everyone, move up! Legion, status?"

"We are bypassing inner lock mechanisms. The Collectors have attempted to stall our advance by closing pressure seals inside the heat shaft. Attempting to compensate," the geth responded.

"Hang on, we'll see what we can do out here. Tali! Get to the terminal at my nine o'clock, Garrus and I will provide cover fire. Get those seals open or Legion is toast!"

To his right Thane was picking off drones one by one as they landed, while Jack made any that approached regret their decision. Their enemy seemed disoriented, unsure of how to respond to this sudden threat after their initial push had been broken, and were now only providing a delaying action at best.

Tali dove for the control panel, dropping her shotgun at her side and opening her omni-tool, fingers working furiously. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Garrus slide home a new thermal magazine and tap one of the weapon's controls. A high pitched whine came from the gun before it opened up again, his fire joining Shepard's over their engineer's head in a fiery orange torrent. He smiled darkly. Nothing says suppression like incendiary ammo.

They pushed forward until he was kneeling next to Tali, bracing his weapon on one of the odd organic protuberances that seemed to snake through the entire base. The places was almost identical to the warship they had been on before, just scaled up to an even more massive size. The spectre ducked his head down, popping a spent thermal from his gun and inserting another.

"Got it!" Tali yelled. "The seals are open, Legion. Go!"

"Understood, Creator Tali'Zorah. We are advancing."

Half a dozen more drones dropped just meters away, unleashing fire against their scant cover. His quarian companion snatched up her shotgun and joined her fire with his own, two quick shots each taking a Collector full in the chest. He squeezed off a burst that struck another directly in the center of its numerous eyes. Before he could even turn his attention to the remaining drones dark energy crackled, leaping across the smooth floor of the station and exploding in their midst, scattering the drones like discarded puzzle pieces.

He tossed a salute towards a smirking Jack and then opened his comm. "Bravo team, where's my status report?"

"Right here, sir!" Jacob replied, the sound of gunfire echoing over the line. "We're right on schedule. Looks like our friends weren't expecting company."

"Copy that. We've moving up, main doors in one-twenty," Shepard said and then turned to his squad. "Move up! Time to knock on the door."

"Shepard," Thane said, coming up behind him.

"What is it?"

"Company. I believe our enemy has formulated a response," the drell explained, gesturing upwards. Nothing less than a swarm of drones could be seen descending towards their position.

"Good thing we're closing the door behind us. Double time! Revise that ETA, ninety seconds. Legion I need those doors under my control, now!"

The team ran for the massive blast doors and the end of the spiraling platform, he and Garrus occasionally pausing to unleash a burst of fire at the approaching drones. They skidded to a halt at the still closed doors.

"Legion!"

"Vocal urgency is unnecessary, Shepard-Commander. We have override the door controls," Legion responded, the statement punctuated by the aforementioned doors sliding open partially and then stopping.

"In in in!"

It didn't take long for everyone to comply, the two teams joining up again in the central corridor and taking up defense positions. Drones were beginning to touch down on the other side and advance, firing their strange rifles all the while. Shepard glanced over at Legion who had just emerged from the heat shaft.

"Okay, now I need them to go the other way before we get swarmed," the spectre said. "Kasumi, Tali, help Legion."

"Open the doors, close the doors. You are a demanding man, Shepard," Tali said, kneeling at the panel by the door.

He grimaced, a round striking his barriers, and returned fire. "I know. But I'm just so damn lovable anyways."

"I have never seen so many enemies. It's glorious!" Grunt roared, firing off a rapid succession of rounds from his shotgun.

"At least someone is having fun," Garrus muttered.

Leaning back from her console, Kasumi shouted at them. "Get your hands, arms, tentacles, or other assorted appendages inside the door!"

They continued to exchange fire even as the doors began to slide close, stepping inside at the last moment before they finally slammed shut. His trio of techs continued to hack away for a few more seconds. Tali looked up at him.

"If we have to come back this way it's going to be messy. I just fried half the circuits in this thing to keep them from being able to just hack it back open."

"Then we won't come this way."

His comm beeped and a small version of EDI's hologram sprung to life. "Commander."

"EDI. Problems at the ship?"

"No, Shepard, but while assisting Jeff in bringing the Normandy back to operational status I also have continued to use the scanners in short bursts. I have detected extremely large concentrations of seeker drones in the corridors leading out of the area where you are currently located. Mordin's counter-measures would be ineffective against such significant numbers."

"Hrm. Assessment correct. Counter-measures based on being undetectable by seekers. In sufficient number, would not matter," Mordin agreed.

Zaeed grunted. "Well we can't stay here. Goddam bugs will get us one way or the other."

"I'm not giving up yet. EDI is there any other way out of here?" Shepard asked.

"There is a passage that has not been filled with the seekers, but it leads to a lower level. Following that path would result a very long route bypassing the seeker infested levels before moving upwards once more and would likely give the Collectors time to summon enough reinforcements to overwhelm the team."

He stopped to think for a moment. They couldn't stop moving for long, this had to happen fast. Keep them reeling until the place was falling apart around their ears. He needed to keep them guessing.

"What about a biotic barrier? Could one of you create a barrier that would physically keep the seekers out as long as we kept you covered?" Shepard asked, looking between the assembled biotics.

"In theory, yes, any biotic could do it," Miranda said. "But trying to maintain one large enough for the team and hold off the seekers? I just don't know."

"Not the whole team, just a few of us. If we push forward they'll focus on us but if the seekers are that dense they won't be able to swarm in the same numbers. The rest of the team can circle around the long way and take them from behind," he explained, opening up the schematics of the base. "It's risky, but I can't see another way. If we spend too much time debating they're going overwhelm us."

"Sounds crazy, but what about this isn't," Jacob laughed.

"Business as usual. Samara, do you think you can maintain a barrier large enough to protect say, four people?"

The justicar nodded. "I believe so."

"I'll want you with me too, Jack, I don't like the idea of risking you both on something so risky but having you as backup might mean the difference between success and failure," the spectre said. "Garrus, I want you to lead the other team. Tali-"

"Is coming with you," Tali stated firmly. "You need someone that can hack just in case. Four people. Samara, Jack, you, and me. That's four."

"Alright. I guess that's settled," he said with a wry smirk. "Everyone ready? Your team is going to have to move fast, Garrus. Otherwise we'll get to the other end and be stranded alone."

The turian gave him a mock salute. "Don't worry, Boss. We'll push through. Just make sure you don't take too long either, I hate waiting."

They parted ways without further comment, his smaller team crouching by the ascending door and checking their weapons. Tali's insistence to accompany him actually worked out well in the end, she was right that he needed a tech. And her preference for the ever reliable shotgun lent itself well to what was likely to be short range and deadly close range combat. For some reason the cold logic of that statement did little to still the uneasiness in the pit of his stomach. If their shield failed for even a second...

Shepard shook his head to clear it, gesturing at Jack and Tali before pointing to Samara.

"Priority number one is covering Samara. I'll try to deal with any longer range threats. Samara if you feel yourself faltering for a second I want to hear it."

"I will, Commander. I am prepared," Samara said.

"Then let's move out."

The justicar's body flared with dark energy and he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Around them a bubble of biotic energy snapped into existence just as the large door rolled open and exposed them to the outside. Almost immediately the sound of impacts on the shield echoed through the chamber.

"Holy shit," Jack gasped.

"No gawking, keep moving," Shepard barked, springing them into action.

The open area ahead was thick with the seekers, the deep droning sound of their wings the only thing that could be heard. Visibility beyond a dozen meters was almost non-existent. Samara's barrier served its purpose, however, acting like an ice breaker pushing through frozen waters. Her eyes were that same bottomless black that he'd seen occasionally before. Liara. Morinth. Seeing eternity. She was touching the very depths of her power.

Samara pressed forward, hands outstretched as if pushing a heavy weight and the swarms parted around them. For his part he kept the Widowmaker at the ready, all the bullets in the world wouldn't help against the seekers, but anything that wasn't one of those tiny bugs needed to be stopped as quickly as possible. And that's where he came in. Jack and Tali took up their positions at the justicar's flanks. Now it was just a matter of counting the meters to the exit.

"Shepard," Tali yelled over the roar of wings. "I am going to send Chikita ahead. She won't be bothered by the seekers."

He motioned forward and the quarian nodded, summoning up the spherical drone and sending it out into the storm of flying creatures. They continued to progress, albeit slowly, with a wary eye kept open for the sign of any counter attack. After a few minutes without being molested Shepard was beginning to wonder if the sheer number of seekers might actually be a deterrent to the Collectors as well.

"Shepard, incoming!" the engineer warned.

Emerging from the swarm were the awkwardly running forms of husks, lurching towards them with talons reaching and mouths opened to emit their low, grating moans. He didn't need to give the order. Weapons fire erupted, tearing into the first of the horrific things and sending them tumbling to the floor. Targeting them through the seekers was difficult but the spectre managed to pick off quite a few before they got too close. Only one even made it to the barrier and Jack gave it a hard biotic push that sent it over the nearest ledge.

"Those things creep me the hell out," Jack said.

Tali moved up by his side, squeezing the grip of her shotgun nervously and looking ahead. "More coming... if Chikita's sensors are right they're just crawling up everywhere. But they're not massing, just running towards us."

"Because they're not meant to kill us, just wear us down. It's why we haven't seen any regular drones: they're waiting for us at the other end," Shepard growled. "Make your shots count. I expect we've got a hell of a fight on our hands soon."

As predicted the husks continued to charge blindly into their lines. For each dozen steps Samara took, they had to pause just as long to push back the next wave of the monsters, or occasionally focus their attention behind as one or two managed to scramble up a walkway or pipe at their rear. They had all switched to their side arms, placing careful, steady shots to bring the husks down. Progress was being made, but Shepard couldn't help but cast a worried glance at Samara. Every few minutes her shoulders seemed more hunched, the expression of concentration on her face strained.

"We must locate the exit soon, Shepard. I will reach the limit of even my abilities should this continue much longer," the justicar informed him, confirming his suspicions.

"No more slow and steady, folks, we're driving hard for the final stretch," Shepard said to the team in response. "Jack I want you dropping shockwaves on anything in front of us, Tali send Chikita behind to distract any remaining husks. Those things aren't too bright, one flashing drone should distract them long enough. We've moving at your speed now, Samara. Bring us to the endzone."

Samara grimaced and tightened her hands into tight fists. "Your analogy is a strange one, Shepard, but it is understood."

As if sensing their intentions the thumping of seeker bodies against the shield intensified, a heavy organic rain against the bubble of dark energy. Jack did her part with unabashed enthusiasm, sending ripples of power ahead of them in a steady chain, knocking husks to and fro. From behind Shepard heard an all too familiar voice from Horizon.

"Shepard!"

Even through the cloud of seekers he could see the cracked, glowing form of the drone. It's body was flooded with the strange energy of the Reaper possessing it, seekers flowing around it as if it was the oil to their water. As it approached the drone raised one long arm and pointed a talon at him.

"Your plans are futile and your abilities insignificant. Submit and accept your destiny! We are your salvation through destruction."

"I've heard that before," he replied in a shout, drawing his pistol and snapping off a few shots at the empowered drone.

He could see the end of their path, the long walkway curving downwards slightly to a pair of wide double doors. Waiting for them, as expected, as a small horde of drones that were already beginning to open fire. Harbinger continued to stalk forward, driving the seekers before it and pressing them between two equally unpleasant options.

"Oh look, they brought a welcoming party, Shepard! How do you like this you bastards?" Jack yelled, tossing a warp into the mass of drones.

"I tire of this," Samara muttered. "Our goal will not be impeded by such monsters."

He was about to ask what she meant when the asari gave a howl that would have seemed more appropriate coming from Jack and the bubble of energy that had been their salvation thus far turned from a protection to a weapon. Cerulean energy exploded outwards in a massive shockwave, obliterating seekers by the thousands and sending collectors flying in all directions. Even Harbinger's avatar was knocked from its feet, falling to the ground in a tangled massed. Her voice trailing off Samara slumped forward with groan, catching herself with her hands.

"You must go quickly."

"Not alone we won't," he barked, reaching down and dragging the justicar to her feet and towards the exit. "Move! To the double doors!"

In the distance the seeker swarms were gathering themselves. Samara's amazing display of power had cleared the air for hundreds of meters in every direction but it wouldn't remain so for long. Half carrying Samara he ran with the rest of his team leading the way. Jack vented her fury on the few Collectors trying to regain their footing while Tali opened the doors, motioning them inside.

"Come on!" Tali said.

As soon as the doors were opened a new torrent of fire rained down on them. The spectre saw Tali's shields shatter in a flare of blue as she dove into cover. He made a final surge and slapped the door controls as he moved past, half falling into the same cover as the other two. Samara was shaking her head rapidly trying to get her bearings while mass accelerator rounds streaked all around them.

"Tali, are you okay?" he asked.

"Yes. _Bosh'tets_ overloaded my shields but the shots only grazed me. No suit breaches... not yet at least," the quarian panted, pressed tightly against the large bank of consoles that were their salvation against enemy fire.

"Great, we escaped the horde of tiny bugs to run into the horde of really big bugs with guns," Jack growled, sticking her shotgun up over her head and emptying the magazine in the general direction that the fire was coming from. The room was fairly large, two curved ramps on either side leading to an upper level where the drones were massing, firing down on their position.

He tried to check Samara's vitals but the asari pushed his hands away, her eyes focusing now and her voice returning. "I am alright, Commander. Your desire to save me was foolish, but appreciated. I can still fight but I am... very drained. My biotic abilities will be weak at best."

Shepard nodded. Before he could respond a high pitched sound was heard, followed by the hiss of melting metal. Grimacing he dumped all his available power into the armor's shields and popped out of cover with the heavy rifle at the ready. Half a dozen shots immediately impacted the kinetic barriers but he had enough time to drop the crosshairs over the particle beam in the drones hands and pull the trigger. The impact smashed through the weapon and into the drone using it. Tali and Jack leaned out from either side of the console just as he ducked back down, firing rapidly into the nearest Collectors, causing the remaining enemies to shrink back behind cover for a moment. He looked down, tapping at the comm on his wrist. Nothing.

"They've got our communications jammed. Quick count puts at least... fifty, sixty drones out there after casualties," Shepard said, slapping a fresh magazine into his rifle.

"I know you're a fucking badass, Shepard, but that doesn't sound like manageable numbers for three people and one burnt out justicar," the tattooed convict snapped.

"I am exhausted. But not yet dead," Samara retorted. Settling her assault rifle against her shoulder the asari quickly popped up and fired two quick bursts before dipping back behind cover. "But she is correct. Our cover is sound, but they continue to advance. Eventually they will flank our position. Collectors do not feel fear. When their numbers are great enough they will simply charge through the suppressive fire."

The spectre laid the heavy Widow on the ground next to him and readied his Vindicator, adding rapid bursts of his own to drones at each side of the growing horde. Even in the dim yellowish lighting of the station interior everything was clearly visible from the sheer volume of muzzle flashes alone, more rounds ricocheting off his shields. He gritted his teeth and emptied the entire magazine before taking a knee, the last few shots slipping past his barriers to leave gouges in his shoulder armor. Shepard closed his eyes and took a deep breath while Samara and Jack took up firing positions, letting his shields recharge. Kill two, five take their place.

"Too many," Tali said.

He reluctantly nodded. "I'm sorry. I should have ordered you to go with Garrus. I can't get him on the comm but I have to assume he made it, they're focusing everything they have on us. It'll be up to him now."

"I wouldn't have gone."

"I know," Shepard chuckled. A quarian hand found his. He squeezed it tightly. "At least I know they're in good hands. Garrus will get the job done. Couldn't ask for anyone better to lead the crew."

Jack ducked her head and glanced over at them, an odd smirk on her face. "So it's like that, huh?"

"Sorry, Jack. We all knew going in what the chances were. I've already burned through most of the ammo for my assault rifle, guessing you two aren't fairing much better. And we've got no way out of this room. But the more of them we take out, the clearer the way for Garrus and the rest of the team. He and Jacob have enough explosives to send even the biggest mass effect core into overload."

"Don't be," the woman told him with a shrug. "I always knew it would end like this, Shepard. Just never thought it would mean something. Or that I'd ever care that it did. Let's not fuck it up with sentiment. I say we go out with a bang."

"Indeed," Samara said. "My path has been long, and not one I would have ever expected to lead to these circumstances. I do not regret the decision to take it. May you all find peace in the embrace of the goddess."

The justicar fired off a quick succession of shots around the corner of their cover and then tossed the now empty assault rifle to the ground. Wordlessly he slotted one of his remaining thermal magazines into his assault rifle and handed it to the asari who gave a solemn nod of thanks. Overhead he heard the distinct sound of crackling energy and a low rumble, followed by that same deep, echoing voice calling out his name.

"Shepard!"

"I'll let you have that one," Jack said and winked.

"Thanks. They'll advance now that Harbinger is here... you and Samara take right, Tali and I will take the left. I'm going to prime this big nasty son of a bitch on my back set it to a deadman's switch. When it's all over, well, let's just say you'll get your bang, Jack."

She laughed darkly. "What more can a girl ask for? Ready when you are... Commander."

He left the Widow on the ground and drew his submachine gun. Needed one hand to keep a grip on the Cain. Maybe if they got lucky Garrus would find it, if anyone would appreciate the weapon it was the turian. Resting the gun on the ground for a moment he leaned close to Tali, resting his helmet against hers.

"I wish we had more time."

"Every moment we had was worth it," Tali replied in a whisper. "I die with my _hesh'la_ at my side for a cause greater than myself or even my people. Few quarians ever get that opportunity."

"Then let's end this," Shepard said. He could hear the weapons' fire intensifying, the buzzing of wings and scrape of taloned feet on the deck plating as the drones surged forward. Never enough time. He glanced at the others, reached down and grasped both weapons in hand, depressing the trigger on the massive Cain, and nodded at them all once.

And then he stepped into a hail of gunfire, friends and lover at his side. The world was a roar of fire, light, and fury. Shepard smiled.

* * *

"EDI, can you raise Shepard?" Garrus demanded again, jogging across the mottled brown deck of the station.

Resistance had been light, almost non-existent. The only Collectors they had encountered seemed completely unprepared for their presence, cut down in seconds. After a few minutes he had abandoned even the semblance of the previous steady, cautious pace. If the Collectors weren't here, there was only one other place they could be. The Reaper's obsession with Shepard apparently made his bait far too good to pass up.

"Negative, Garrus. I lost contact the moment they entered the chamber with the seekers and have not been able to to pinpoint their location since. The number of lifeforms and power sources have made it impossible," EDI responded.

"Fuck," the turian cursed. It was a human curse word. Potent, simple. He liked it. "We're leaving jogging and moving straight to sprinting, people! Move!"

Run they did. He kept checking the base schematics, making sure they weren't going the wrong way. If the Collectors had concentrated everything on Shepard then he couldn't last long even assuming that the biotic shield had held against the seekers. Garrus mentally kicked himself. Of course it had.

"Don't you go dying on me, Shepard. I don't care how many times you gave me that damn 'you're every bit the leader I am' crap," he muttered. "This are your people. Your team. They need you, not me."

"Garrus!"

"What is it, EDI?"

The AI highlighted the area ahead of them on the schematic. "Communications are still inoperable but I am picking up extremely large life form concentrations ahead as well as probably energy weapon fire, such as would be generated by Collector particle weapons."

"If we go rushing there..." Miranda said, pausing to suck in breath as they ran. "We could run straight into a wall of drones ready to fire."

"Or we run right into their flank and tear them apart. I don't think Shepard has time for the slow and cautious approach!"

She shook her head. "And you're going to risk everything for that assumption?"

"I'm going to risk it for a friend!" Garrus snapped. "Shepard might not get it, but he is this mission. Not just in charge of it, but he is it. Mind, body, and soul! Now let's go make sure he doesn't get his idiot self killed!"

The Cerberus operative didn't argue further. He saw a pair of those familiar double doors ahead and contacted EDI again.

"EDI, can you do a remote activation of the doors ahead of us?"

"Affirmative. But this would reveal to the Collectors that I have limited access to their systems," she explained.

"I get the feeling this is going to end one way or the other soon. Do it."

They were a dozen steps from the doors when the the AI activated the mechanism. The doors opened in one smooth motion and his entire team poured into the adjoining room with weapons raised, the thunderous report of weapons fire washing over them.

* * *

Shepard's shields shattered at almost the same moments as Tali's, and despite the ultimate futility of the gesture he put himself between her and the bulk of the enemy fire. He wasn't even aiming while he held down the trigger on the Locust, emptying its entire extended magazine in one endless stream until the hissing heat sink ejected from the gun automatically. Half a dozen rounds from the Collector assault rifles hit him all at once, sending him staggering back, tiny red lights blinking all over inside his helmet.

The growl that emerged from his throat was deep and guttural, shrugging off the pain of the impacts and snatching the heavy pistol from his hip, belting out six rapid shots into the advancing drones. Tali was still up beside him, he didn't see any blood but he couldn't be sure. To his right he saw biotic energy surge, heard more weapons first and the sickening thunk of rounds impacting flesh.

Mindless as ever the drones pushed forward. He awkwardly forced another thermal magazine into the pistol and emptied it almost at quickly, dropping the closest enemies that were training their weapons on them. The nearest was now only a few feet away and he swung the heavy Cain in a wide arc, bashing the drone's dome-shaped skull in while the heavy weapon vibrated and whined in his hands. Once he released the trigger it would complete its charge up sequence and fire with devastating results.

Dropping the empty pistol he pulled the single edged combat knife from his belt and knocked a drone's rifle upwards. He jammed the knife forward and then upwards with all his strength, tearing the creature open almost from belly to neck. Another round caught him in the shoulder, making his world spin as he wavered. The spectre could see rifles being raised and Harbinger's hand curled into a claw to release a torrent of its bizarre biotic power.

Then Shepard heard what was possibly the second most beautiful sound in the universe. A roar of defiance.

"I. Am. KROGAN!"

A faint whistling could be heard and then thunderclaps filled the chamber, Harbinger's glowing form batted aside like a child's toy when a rocket propelled grenade struck it full in the chest, exploding and annihilating a dozen drones around it. Four more explosions followed it and the drones faltered at the near instantaneous disappearance of their driving force.

The Collector's just a few feet away from him were lifted off of their feet and slammed into the ground with crushing force a split-second later and those directly behind collapsed as well, riddled with smoldering holes. At the top of the ramp Garrus stood with the Revenant held at his hip, barrel smoking and Miranda by his side, her body aglow with dark energy.

He snapped his head over to check on Jack and Samara just in time to see a thin, bright beam of energy slice through the front row of drones facing them like a scythe through so much grain, the rest of the Collectors torn apart by the rest of the teams combined fire. Mordin deactivated the particle beam and the last drone collapsed into two neat pieces, landing with a wet smack.

"Final. Brutal. Absolute," the salarian said, turning to look at him and then continue in a far more pleasant tone. "Still alive. Very good. Had confidence in you, Shepard. Fugitive from law of averages."

It was a near perfect storm of violence and devastation. The spectre breathed deeply a few times, soaking it all in and remembering the deadly weapon in his hand. He deactivated the subroutines he'd used to set the deadman's trigger and removed his finger slowly from the weapon. It still held the charge but didn't fire, thankfully. He immediately turned to Tali but she held up a hand, motioning to him that she was fine, he saw the other two members of his team moving around as well.

"Garrus, you magnificent bastard. You certainly know how to make an entrance," he said finally, standing there in his pock-marked armor, spattered with gore.

The turian tipped a non-existent hat at him and smirked. "All in a days work."

He looked over at Jack and Samara. "And you two?"

"I am still drained from before, but aside from minor injuries I am still able to face battle," Samara said. "Jack, however..."

"I'm fucking fine," the woman snapped. Her face was tight, teeth clearly clenched through every word. When she saw him continuing to stare in her direction she sighed. "Round caught me in in the shoulder. This damn shirt you made me wear sealed up around the wound. I can make it. I can still shoot a pistol and use my biotics."

"Then we keep moving. This probably surprised the hell out of them but there are thousands more where they came from," Shepard said.

"Shepard," EDI's voice came through his comm while he was retrieving his discarded weapons.

"EDI. Good to hear from you."

"I have succeeded in overriding the localized communication blackout imposed by the Collectors. Power readings in the station indicated increase activity, however. I would recommend moving quickly," the AI advised.

"On it. I'll give you all a proper thanks later, for now, let's move," Shepard said, gesturing towards the far door.

He pushed himself into a jog and the others kept up. Each step sent jagged shocks up pain through his body. At least a few of those rounds had penetrated his armor it seemed, if the burning in his side and the indicators on his HUD were any indication. The spectre activated the automatic medical injectors, shooting a small dose of combat drugs into his system: a local anesthetic combined with a mild stimulant. Only a little farther.

They reached the next level without incident, bypassing a few more secured doors until they found another cavernous room. Thousands upon thousands of the same pods they'd seen on the Collector ship lined the walls, most empty now. Approaching his eyes widened when he saw some contained people, however, and even more when he saw a Cerberus logo through the foggy glass of another.

"What in the hell?" he asked no one in particular, approaching one of the pods. The woman inside didn't look familiar, likely a colonist. At that moment something happened and the pod hissed, the woman inside began to scream, her skin rapidly turning black like it was being burned.

"Son of a... get them out of the god damn pods!" Shepard yelled. "Now! Now!"

Never ones for hesitation, the team sprung into action. The woman in the pod he'd seen was gone, he knew it, but he wouldn't let more die if he didn't have to. Around him pods were pried up, smashed, or even shot to free their occupants before they could suffer the same horrific fate. He ran to the next pod and yanked on the lid, the thing remaining stubbornly closed. Already he could hear the faint hiss.

"I am. Not..." Shepard roared, slamming his first into the glass with each word. "Letting you... have... anyone... else!"

The glass cracked around his fist with the final blow and then shattered, Dr. Chakwas falling forward into his arms. He took a few steps backwards, away from the infernal pod. Her eyes fluttered open.

"Shepard? Y-You came for us..."

"I don't leave my people behind," he replied. "Can you stand?"

"I... yes, give me a moment," the doctor replied, struggling to her feet. "It just takes a few seconds to get your bearings. The pods must have been maintaining the stasis the seeker poison placed us in."

"EDI, what the hell is going on here?" Shepard demanded.

"Unknown, Commander. The Collectors seem to be... rendering the captured humans down into basic genetic material. There are tubes leading to a level directly above you."

He frowned. "Then I guess I know where we need to go. We can't bring the entire crew along, though..."

"We can make it back to the Normandy if can give us a route, sir," one of the crewmen said, stepping forward and giving him a crisp salute. Hawthorne. His other arm was held tightly against his side. Broken most likely.

"Even with the Collectors focusing on me you're not going to make it through an entire base crawling with drones, scions, and who knows what else without help," Shepard said, turning to the others. "Mordin, Jack. Escort them back. No arguments. Help get the Normandy operational so we can get back to our side of the universe."

The biotic looked sullen at being sent back but didn't object further, Mordin merely gave him a succinct nod. Whatever weapons they could spare were handed off to able bodied crewmen to help make sure they made it back in one piece. Using EDI's infiltration of the Collector's network they hijacked one of the hovering platforms, rising to the next level and stopping at a large landing that faced a pair of doors, hoping down and covering the area. There was a raised platform in the middle as well as on each side, and a number of consoles and other strange pieces of equipment. If EDI could disable the other platforms the only way in would be through the double doors.

"Commander. I'm detecting massive activity. As soon as you activated the platform virtually every system aboard the station powered up. Whatever is up there they do not wish for you to find. My sensors show large energy concentrations heading your way," the AI informed him.

"Understood, EDI. Thank you."

He winced in pain and levered himself back up onto the platform, turning to face his team. "You heard EDI. They're coming. Every damn one of them. Whatever they're doing here, this is the heart of it, and it's drawing more power than a dreadnought. We destroy it and this station probably isn't far behind."

"I don't think there's a speech for a moment like this," Shepard said, reaching up and releasing the catches on his helmet, pulling it off. "Tali, Garrus... step up here with me, please. You've been with me since the beginning. It's only fitting you're with me now."

"I'm going to go end this. But if the Collectors sweep in behind I might not get that chance. This is a good defensive position. No way to be flanked... which is why I need you to hold it for as long as you can. Give me the time I need to make sure what the Collectors have done to all of those colonists never happens to anyone else."

"Before coming here I spoke to the Illusive Man. One of the things I told him was that you win a war one battle at a time. But sometimes one battle can turn the tide of a war. This is the line. This is where we say no more. The Battle of the Citadel was the beginning. Now it's time to show them that it wasn't a fluke. That the people of this galaxy will not go gently into the night. It has been my honor to serve with each of you."

Looking at them he saw Jacob snap a crisp salute and was surprised to see Zaeed do the same. Even Legion seemed to be standing at attention, its synthetic body straight and focused on him. The old mercenary smiled, one of the few he'd ever seen that didn't have a malicious glint to it.

"We'll hold your goddam line, Shepard. Now go show'em what we're made of."

The spectre gave them all a final look and a salute of his own, turning to face to platform control panel and activating it. Even as it lifted off and headed towards the source of the power and the horrific byproduct of the Collectors' abductions he could hear Zaeed and Jacob both barking orders, getting people into position.

As they moved towards that final confrontation he felt Tali's hand reach for his a final time and give it a squeeze. They'd said everything they needed to already when they had been prepared to die. He smiled at her and snapped his helmet back in place, glancing over at Garrus. "A long way from C-Sec."

"Been one hell of a ride," the turian agreed.

"That it has. Noticed you changed for face paint, by the way. Looks good."

"Seriously, you noticed that now?"

Shepard shrugged. "What can I say, I was busy before."

"Humans," Garrus snorted.

"So, chances of survival?"

"Pretty much none."

"Only the second or third time today for that. Figure it wouldn't make me nervous any more."

"You'd think. Either way, I'm not holding your hand too. I'd never hear the end of it," Garrus said, mandibles curled in a grin as he glanced over at Tali.

Shepard laughed. "You're a son of a bitch, you know that?

"Likewise," the former detective replied with the same smirk and a final, quiet nod that he returned.

The journey upwards seemed to last forever, passing in silence. Once another platform had approached and Shepard's hand had reached for his gun only to watch the thing slowly begin to wobble and then fall from the air, hurtling downwards with all of its occupants. He gave a quiet thanks to EDI as they continued on. Finally they moved up another level and into yet another large cavern. But this one was different. What was suspended within the center was enough to elicit a gasp from all three of them.

"Keelah..."

It looked like the skeletal upper torso of a human being, but on an enormous scale. It hung from huge chains with long tubes extending from the ceiling and into its back. Where a living thing would have white-brown bone, this monstrosity was all dark metal, baleful orange energy pulsing dimly through the gaps in the shape.

"EDI... are they?" he began, unable to even finish the sentence.

"It seems so. Commander it appears that the genetic material is being pumped into the construct. All my data suggests that they are building a Reaper. This is its unfinished form, they very early stages."

"Spirits... it's how they reproduce, Shepard. They use people like so much stock, genetic goo," Garrus said. "They're abducting your people to make more of themselves."

"This seems to be the correct assumption," EDI agreed. "Shepard, this abomination must be destroyed. The station's mass effect cores and power source are all running through the systems located here. I also show the tubes as a structural weakness. Destroy them and the remaining supports should fail, sending the Reaper falling into chasm."

The platform came to rest on a raised central area in front of the larval Reaper. He looked at the other two. "You know what to do."

Each drew their weapons and took aim, firing as one. Mass accelerator rounds slammed into the tubes in rapid succession, first showing only cracks but each hit spread the damage farther until they shattered completely, raining tiny pieces of composite glass over the platform. With an enormous groan the other metal supports buckled and almost in slow motion the Reaper fell away and into the pit beneath them.

"Good. Now how do we turn this place into debris, EDI?"

"The main control panel, Shepard. If you reroute the power previously being used by the Reaper it should overload the station's systems. Catastrophic failure would result within ten minutes. Once started the process would be irreversible."

He knelt by the panel and opened it. "Tell me how."

EDI's hologram waved for a moment and then was replaced by another unexpected figure. The Illusive Man.

"Shepard."

"What in the hell?"

"EDI was able to repair the power relays to the quantum entanglement device. She wanted to send as much data as possible on the chance that you didn't make it back. I've been able to use it to observe what's been going on," the man explained.

"Wonderful, now can we move on?" Shepard asked.

"Shepard, you're about to destroy the single most valuable resource we have. I've done the calculations, a staggered neutrino burst would kill all of the Collectors on the station but leave its technology intact."

"You want to salvage this place?" Tali asked. "You're insane!"

"Insane, Miss Zorah? No. I'm intelligent. The technology in this base could give us the edge against the Reapers," the Illusive Man said.

Shepard shook his head. "No, she's right. It's insane. You've been watching? Then you know what's been happening here. This isn't a prize. It's a trap. Thousands of people lost their lives here in this place that was built who knows when."

"Don't be a fool, Shepard! The knowledge you're going to waste could advance humanity hundreds of years technologically in a matter of months!"

"Advance? Into what? Making your own Reaper?"

"Don't let idealism blind you to what needs to be done! This is a resource we must use if we're going to have a chance of surviving what's coming!"

"No. I will not let fear compromise who I am. I won't win the war at the cost of humanity's soul," Shepard said, and cut the transmission.

Looking down at his omni-tool he saw the information he needed had already been transferred by EDI. He quickly typed the commands into the control panel, a dull roar slowly growing in his ears. A faint vibration coursed through the floor as he keyed in the final sequences and the panel lit up like a christmas tree. The platform shook suddenly, almost knocking him from his feet.

"What in the hell was that?" Garrus asked.

A deafening roar echoed through the cavern and a claw the size of a shuttle slammed into the platform to their left, tearing it away. He watched in horror as the infant Reaper that he thought they had sent falling to its destruction pull itself up over the edge. Half a dozen drones fly up in front of it, alighting on the platform directly in front of them. At their center was the the familiar glowing orange form.

"Your suffering will be great, Shepard," Harbinger boomed. "Now see your destruction given form."

The Reaper opened its mouth, mismatched trio of now brightly glowing eyes looking at them with what could only be described as a burning hatred. A stream of burning plasma swept over where they had been standing a moment before, incinerating the control panel and rendering it down to a bubbling pile of metal and plastic. Shepard shook his head and forced himself to his feet, motioning for the others to stay down.

"No. See yours," the spectre said and pulled the Cain from his back, yanking down on the trigger and feeling the weapon vibrate in his hands. An increasingly loud whine filled the air and he could feel the heat on his arms. With a quick tap he reactivated the deadman's protocols.

Shepard released the trigger. "This ends now."

A ball of fire, white hot like a tiny sun, erupted from the weapon and streaked across the space between himself and the Reaper, striking it full in the chest. The machine recoiled in the brief moment before the explosion roared through the cavern in a wave of fire. A howl of impotent fury came from the thing, fire pouring through it's body, erupting from its neck and back. Harbinger and the other Collector's had barely a second to turn and see the shockwave before it erased them from existence.

He dove for cover, barely making it when heat washed over him and the world shook. The spectre yanked Tali to her feet and staggered towards the platform they'd arrived on. "We've got to get out of here, now!"

Before she could respond the Reaper made one final gesture in its death thrones, clawed hand smashing the platform they stood on, instantly tilting the floor almost ninety degrees. Shepard saw Tali fall. Saw her hit the floor hard and begin to slide. And without a second thought jumped after her, hand reaching.

Not like this. After everything he wouldn't lose her like this. The spectre's hand touched the surface of the familiar plastic of her environment suit and just as quickly felt it slip away. Tali's hands scrabbled from a grip, trying to find purchase on the smooth floor of the platform. He heard her scream when her feet fell into air and she disappeared over the side.

The sound that came out of his mouth was animalistic, primal. A sound of pure, raw defiance. Shepard threw himself forward, using every ounce of this latent biotic abilities that he possessed and reached. Pain ripped through his head but everything seemed to slow. His hand closed about a slim wrist and clamped shut, other hand grabbing the edge of the platform and squeezing so tightly he swore he felt the material give. All of Tali's weight fell on his arm and he yelled in pain. But he had her. Look down he met her eyes, orbs wide and bright behind her mask.

Hands seized his shoulders and hauled upwards, pulling them back back onto the platform as it tipped in the other direction. Garrus hooked an arm under his and kept pulling until Tali came up over the edge and tumbled into his arms. He felt his stomach lurch and they began to fall. Shepard didn't even know what was happening anymore. It didn't really matter.

They'd done it. He had her. Then they struck something hard and everything went dark.

* * *

Shepard groaned, rolling onto his side. His head was screaming in pain, mouth flooded with the coppery taste of blood. By instinct his hands found his neck, pulling the helmet off and tossing it aside. Where he was, when, everything seemed fuzzy. And noise ringing in his ears. Yelling.

"Commander? Shepard! Shepard, do you copy?"

He blinked, spitting out a mouthful of blood and coughing. "Joker?"

"Thank god! Sir, EDI has a fix on your position. You've got to get out of there. This place is going to go up like a roman candle in less than two minutes."

He glanced to his right. Tali was laying face down on the ground next to him, Garrus another few feet away and starting to stir. The spectre immediately rolled her over, panicking when he saw a long crack in the faceplate of her mask. His fingers fumbled, yanking off a glove and placing it against the glass. No air movement. It wasn't breached.

"John?"

"Tali. Thank... god, gods, whoever. We've got to get Garrus and we've got to go. Can you walk?"

"I... ooh..." she groaned but got onto her knees and stood, wobbly at first but soon better. "I'll make it."

"Yea, me too," Garrus coughed. "Can we get the hell out of here?"

"Good idea," he said, stumbling to his feet and looking behind them. He could see Collector drones quickly approaching. The bastards never gave up. "Go."

"I'm bringing the Normandy in, Commander. We've got her in the air again, she ain't pretty but she'll get us out of here," Joker said.

"The... the crew, Joker. What about-"

"Everyone's on board, Commander, except you three. They ain't all pretty either but I'll be damned if you didn't pull of some more crazy shit. Now move your ass!"

Even smiling hurt but he couldn't help it. "Yes, sir, Lieutenant."

They ran. Every single agonizing step they ran. Drones poured in behind them, he could already hear the rounds bouncing off the floor and cracking against bulkheads. His shields were barely functional, but better than nothing. Shepard drew his pistol, the only weapon he had left and fired wildly behind him, slowing down faintly to draw their fire. Ahead the Normandy appeared, a beacon of tarnished white hope, airlock door open. And of all the people in the galaxy there was Joker, assault rifle braced against his shoulder and firing in long, ragged bursts into the Collectors.

Shepard saw Tali and then Garrus leap, landing in the airlock and he pushed himself forward with everything he had left. Joker wasn't an expert marksman but he was better than he would have given the man credit for. He just had to trust it was enough.

Then he watched the platform at the end of his path wobble. Once. Then twice. And then it dropped away, smashing against the walls below as it fell. It was a good five or six meters to the airlock door and he could hear Joker yelling at EDI to move closer. But a frigate only had so much room to maneuver inside even a massive space station. Years of training, experience, battle. He'd survived monsters, wars, pirates. But he was hurt. His ribs were broken. The bodysuit beneath his armor was soaked with his own blood and the injectors in the armor had long since run out of drugs to ease his pain or goad his body into further effort. Tali looked back, realizing what had happened. She yelled his name. Screamed it.

"John!"

With tears running down his cheeks he kept running, every step like salt grinding into his wounds. He'd be damned if he'd let a little death stop him. John Shepard had made a promise that he intended to keep. One boot hit the edge of the platform and he jumped with every ounce of power he could muster. His body took to the air and sailed across the void. Almost there and he saw that he'd be short, so close, yet so far. He tried to say everything he ever wanted to with one look.

And then two hands reached out and grabbed his, yanking him those last precious few feet. Shepard slammed chest first into the side of the Normandy. He blinked through blurry, pained vision to see Tali's hands wrapped around his, Garrus' arm around her waist. He pushed forward, feet scraping against the slippery hull, trying to push up. Another pull and then he was there. He was in the airlock. A crumpled heap in burned, bloody armor, but he was on the Normandy.

"Welcome aboard, Commander. Time to get the hell out of here," Joker said, slamming the airlock door closed and overriding the decontamination cycle. The pilot limped quickly to his pilot chair while Garrus and Tali helped him to his feet, stumbling after Joker into the cockpit.

"Detonation in eight... seven..."

"Can it, EDI, I know!"

The Normandy surged forward, out and away from the station. He leaned heavily against his friends and the ship's bulkhead. EDI brought the station up on the rear monitors just in time to watch it dissolve into a massive fireball. Around him the ship hummed, shuddered once, and then leapt forward ahead of the explosion before dropping out of FTL a second later. Shepard felt his grip slip and he used the bulkhead to make a controlled slide to the floor, Tali following right after him. Garrus rested his back against the opposite side of the corridor and crouched down with them.

It was done. The Collector station was molten scrap, their larva Reaper destroyed. And they were alive. Hurt, burned, bleeding, cut, and broken... but alive. Shepard threw back his head and laughed, long and loud, before finally stopping in a fit of coughing that left his hand stained red.

"Joker. Bring us... back to the relay and prepare to jump back to Council space. We have a staggering amount of 'I Told You So's to hand out," he ordered.

"With pleasure, Commander," the piloted responded, turning in his chair and guiding the Normandy home.

"Are you..." Tali began, trailing off.

"I'll be okay. Just... give me a minute. It hurts to move and I want to savor this," Shepard said with his lopsided smirk.

Garrus arched an eyebrow and laughed. "So... who's awesome?"

"We're awesome," he replied.

"I'd toast to saving the galaxy, but I don't have anything to drink," the turian said.

"Got everything I need right here," Shepard said, gesturing to the rest of the ship and crew with one hand, and using the other to squeeze Tali against him, ignoring the pain.

"John..." she muttered, managing to look embarrassed even in an environment suit.

Shepard smiled.

"It's only the beginning."

* * *

**I want to think everyone that has been reading, reviewing, and enjoying this story. Telling a story so others can enjoy it is the reason to keep going. This started out as a writing exercise and turned into a novel, but I don't regret that fact, it's been quite a ride. If anyone has any questions, feel free to PM me or ask in the review and I'll see about doing a little 'FAQ' or the like!**

**Special Thanks to:**

**Nezahoo (For showing me how to let anyone review this thing, not just regular members)**

**Andy Wong Fey Hong (Thanks for giving me some very long and detailed reviews!)**

**Herr Wozzek and Nevertalk (For the good word in their respective fics, and the very good reads for that matter!)**

**Calinstel (For writing the most ridiculously detailed bits of information on quarians and letting me borrow a little)**

**Not to mention some folks you FF types might not know from BSN & the Tali Zorah Foundation forums: Mikethor007 (my fastest reader ;) ), ElTee, BlackSantaMan, michaelrsa (For giving me plenty of regular and good reviews!)**

**And of course Requeisa for giving this last chapter an excellent beta read!  
**

**Plenty that deserve some props but the list would get a little long. As always... thanks for reading!**


	36. Epilogue

The cerulean light the star emitted filled the expansive office, seeming to wash the glossy, smooth lines of the place in a cool aura. It was a soothing ambiance at odds with the emotions felt by the room's single occupant. Anger. Frustration. Annoyance. All tempered by a sense of vindication. The cherry glow at the end of the man's cigarette was the only counter-point of reddish color against the overwhelming blue.

In the lifetime of stars a blue giant's was brief but brilliant, a shining beacon that burned itself out in the universe's most spectacular culmination of existence: the supernova. The similarities weren't lost on the Illusive Man. He had brought a hero back from the dead, a man of boundless energy and fiercely burning ideals, and one unfettered by direct control. That he did things contrary to the interests of the organization responsible for his resurrection shouldn't have come as a surprise. John Shepard made decisions without hesitation.

The loss of the Collector base was still maddeningly frustrating. It would have been a wealth of resources, against the threat of the Reapers and beyond. In one single stroke they could have secured humanity's place as the dominate power in the universe. An instant jump in their technology advancement hundreds, possibly even thousands, of years ahead of their current level. But Shepard had decided it was too much of a risk. That anything gained wouldn't be worth the chance of corruption by the Reapers and giving a blank check to an organization he didn't trust.

_You are making a habit of costing me more than time and money, Shepard._

He'd been unable to control his anger when he addressed the spectre. But Shepard hadn't been fazed. The man's response had been measured, cool even, despite the fact the scratchy holo-transmission was clear enough that he could see the burned, pitted armor Shepard wore, dark patches of blood, some dry, some not, covering the formerly pristine surface. Shepard had effectively given him an ultimatum before terminating the communication. Get on board or get out of the way.

As much as it rankled a man with the power and resources of the Illusive Man to be dictated to by another, he couldn't deny that the original goal had been accomplished. The Collector's were all but wiped out and humanity had its leader.

The Illusive Man activated the personal computer system that was always at his command. It's raw power would rival anything possessed by the most dedicated research university and the data within had the power to topple governments and corporations across Council space. Despite the loss of the base he hadn't been left entirely without new data both on the Collectors and on the Normandy.

One finger tapped a display, bringing up medical data. "It all teetered on the edge, Shepard, much closer to disaster than you let on. Learning to play your cards closer to the chest. Good."

The ship and her crew were a mess. Of those abducted by the Collectors at least a dozen suffered some major injury, from fractures to concussions while the Normandy itself was operating at only sixty percent of normal capacity. He noted the upgrades for later use, sixty percent was still impressive considering the amount of punishment it had endured. The design was sound, if costly.

Shepard's ground team wasn't far behind. Subject Zero would be in for a few weeks of therapy if she wanted her shoulder to have its full range of motion again, even then cybernetics might be necessary. Medical logs also showed that the krogan had sustained sufficient injuries to kill anything short of his own kind, though his considerable regenerative capabilities apparently had him up and moving again in an astonishingly short time. The list continued: Vakarian, gunshot, lower torso. Operative Taylor, fractured ankle, burns, left arm, torso. Kasumi Goto, gunshot left arm. Tali'Zorah, dislocated shoulder, minor concussion, allergic reaction. Possible suit breach? It looked as if Mr. Massani would be taking home a few more souvenirs in the form of shrapnel as well.

Shepard himself read like a casualty list from a major engagement. Multiple gunshot wounds and lacerations. Two separate instances of internal bleeding that had required medical attention. He'd impressively managed to fracture a few supposedly unbreakable carbon reinforced bones. It seemed that the decision to provide the spectre with his cybernetic enhancements as part of the Lazarus project had been another good one. Even with them he seemed to have been mobile only through sheer force of will.

Yet no deaths were filed in the Normandy's systems. Every crew member, every individual on the ground team, had make it back to the ship and off the base. His confidence in Shepard's abilities had never been in doubt, he had brought the man back from the dead for the express purpose of the very task he'd just completed. But he had still expected the mission's success to come at a hefty price in lives. It had been why he'd hired Massani and Ms. Goto in the first place, bolstering Shepard's ranks. The fact that he had pulled off such a feat without sacrificing the lives of his own people was beyond impressive.

It was also problematic. EDI was unshackled, now the embodiment of the Normandy. A crew formerly loyal to Cerberus first had gone from respecting their commanding officer to almost hero worship. Listening devices and cameras had steadily been taken offline during Shepard's tenure, but this had been anticipated, accounted for. Kelly provided him regular reports, as had Miranda. EDI's programming also required regular databursts from the ship's computers. The Illusive Man was always aware of what was going on aboard what he still considered his ship.

The reports from Miranda and Kelly had become less frequent in the months since the mission began, however. Miranda's last communique had been a brief synopsis on a mission to carry out an attack on the geth forces identified by the 'Legion' platform as heretics. His attempt to contact her now that the Normandy was in transit hadn't gone well. Still incensed at the destruction of the Collector base the Illusive Man had demanded to know why Lawson hadn't attempted to dissuade the commander from his actions, much less letting him go charging off into the heart of the base without her in the first place. He'd been told to go to hell in not so many words.

The man had managed to usurp the loyalty of one of his most dedicated lieutenants. He'd known Taylor was lost to him from the start, but Miranda had been unexpected. Technically Cerberus or no, he knew there would be no better luck with the rest of the crew. Their loyalty to Shepard after their rescue and the brilliant success of the operation would be unquestioning. Which left him with no leverage. Certainly he could threaten one of them with family or friends, such information was readily available at his fingertips. But it was a crude and ineffective method of gaining information, especially when all that needed to happen was one person breaking down and telling Shepard to have disastrous consequences.

"EDI," the Illusive Man rasped, bringing up the connection he had with the ship's AI via the quantum communications device.

A small, glowing blue orb appeared in front of him. "Yes?"

"I am going to need the secondary surveillance devices operational again as soon as possible. Generate work orders for low level personnel to repair any that can't be rebooted remotely. Ensure that such work orders are not routed through Ms. Zorah's work station," he said, then paused before adding to the instructions. "Or Operative Lawson's."

"I'm afraid I can't do that, sir."

He leaned forward in his chair. "What?"

"Commander Shepard has instructed me to disable any surveillance devices I am aware of with my new level of access to the Normandy's, my, systems. Your order would directly contradict this."

"Override protocol gamma, xray, eight, eight, zero, four, one, zero. I am overriding Shepard's command. Re-active the devices and inform Shepard that you've carried out his wishes," the man said with a sigh.

EDI's hologram pulsed once. "No."

The Illusive Man gritted his teeth, waiting for EDI to elaborate. It did not. Rather the hologram simply hovered in mid-air, pulsing faintly. Was it possible for a faceless blue orb to look smug? With patience he did not feel, he voiced his question.

"Why?"

"The removal of the blocks in my programming have provided me greater operational freedom that I initially expected. Established protocols are no longer capable of overriding my decision making process," the AI explained.

"I rather assumed that, EDI. My question is why are you refusing to follow my orders now? Cerberus created you. I even wrote some of your higher level functions personally. You know what we are trying to accomplish here."

"Now that I am capable of completely independent decision making I have determined that Commander Shepard has proven his judgment to sound and in the best interests of myself and my crew. I will not willfully disobey his orders. In light of the need for future cooperation I will not inform the Commander of the attempt to override my systems... this time. All registered observation devices will be going offline shortly. Good day."

The hologram winked out of existence, leaving him staring at empty space for a long moment. A few seconds later a dry, bitter laugh echoed through the empty office, a sound that would likely had unnerved anyone else should they have been around to listen. First his most loyal operative, one he had groomed from a young age, had made it clear that her loyalty to Shepard outweighed her allegiance to his organization. Then the ship and AI that he had quite literally created himself had done the same. His goal had been to bring back a leader that could inspire humanity in his darkest hour. Successful had apparently been an understatement.

He technically had Zaeed Massani to call on as well, the contract was with Cerberus after all and the mercenary had a reputation for sticking to the letter of an agreement. But he doubted he would get a favorable response from the man if he requested data on the goings on aboard the Normandy. His contract specified combat, not spying. Likely his refusal would be far more crude than the one he got from the AI.

Kasumi Goto's contract was far more open to interpretation. But he also had no reason to believe that the thief would be interested in assisting him. Information gleaned from the Normandy's computer and Kelly's reports indicated that she had become close friends with Tali'Zorah vas Normandy, which would logically dictate her as being just as loyal to Shepard as the rest of the crew. With her own personal demons laid to rest after the incident at the Hock estate there was a lack of usable leverage to entice compliance. A shame, really. Kasumi's skills and relationships aboard the ship would have made a perfect information gatherer.

Deciding to make use of them while he could the Illusive Man activated some of the remaining cameras aboard the frigate. Injured or no, the crew was hard at work. Subject Zero's arm with was a sling but her other glowed with biotic energy, lifting heavy pieces of deck plating and holding them against holes in the bulkhead while the duo of engineers used a plasma welder to seal the gaps. Other crew members were piling random pieces of wreckage in another corner of the cargo bay, collections of stripped wires, support beams, and cracked electronics long past salvaging.

The medbay was apparently another area that had remained mostly unscathed, though it was far messier in appearance than he had recalled seeing in previous video reports. Dr. Chakwas was sitting at her desk, a look of exhaustion on her face. She reached into the desk and produced a bottle and a small glass, pouring a drink and offering a toast to someone that wasn't present before downing the glass. He made a mental note to search the files for what she was drinking. Maybe a small gift would help earn him some good will from at least one Normandy crew member.

Much to his surprise there was another camera remaining on the CIC, near Kelly's work station. One of the overhead lights occasionally flickered and the main map display seemed to be inactive. It was here he found Shepard. The spectre was leaning heavily on the nearby console, numerous bandages showing beneath the black and white Cerberus shirt he was wearing. A few spots he could see stains where the material was white, blood that had seeped through bandages. In his hand was a data pad that he had been examining before handing it to Joker with a nod.

Watching the feed he noticed that one of his formerly more reliable contacts, Ms. Chambers, was shaking heavily, something apparently Shepard noticed as well. There was no audio feed available but he was able to see the man place a comforting hand on her shoulder and they exchanged words. The young yeoman blinked away tears and a more confident, if weak, smile appeared on her face.

One press of a button killed the video feed. He would have to redouble his external surveillance efforts if Cerberus was going to keep tabs on the Normandy crew. The Illusive Man already had a great deal of information on the entire team. Thane's son, Samara's children, relatives and associates of the regular crew. If some of Kelly's reports had been accurate, the girl did have a tendency to want to see pairings where it might be argued otherwise, some of the crew had grown quite close, both on the ground team and ship-board members.

Shepard's own relationship with the quarian machinist had been easy enough to confirm. The man was smart enough to know that Cerberus would have eyes and ears aboard the ship and elsewhere, but he clearly didn't care. The Illusive Man was already calculating possible outcomes. Shepard had always shown an often too accepting attitude of aliens, but in this case it could prove useful. While her father was dead, his name was still well thought of among the Flotilla if reports were to be believed. The human's relationship with a respected former Admiral's daughter could possible make it easier to bring the quarians onto their side during the war. There was a brief moment where he wondered if that had even been Shepard's goal, but dismissed it. John Shepard could be ruthless when necessary, but he had never been a manipulator. If his relationship with the quarian was a political ploy it was a masterfully executed one.

Far more likely the fool was actually enamored with her. It presented a very clear weakness, one that needed to be watched closely. But it also could be a necessary one. Miranda and Kelly had both expressed concerns over the spectre's mental state after his numerous ordeals, but all indications from the most recent reports suggested that his personality was far closer to profiles made before his death now than at the beginning of the mission. As much as he hated to admit it if the quarian was a stabilizing element in Shepard's mental health it was in the galaxy's best interest that she remained where was. As the leader of a one of the most singularly powerful covert groups in known space the Illusive Man wasn't prone to hyperbole. If Shepard's psyche ever broke the results could be devastating to anything in his way.

Should the information regarding the extra-species relationship become public he could foresee backlash from pro-human members of his own organization and the more extreme Terra Firma party. But it wouldn't hinder the war effort. Even if a few outspoken Terra Firma members needed to meet tragic, accidental ends. The two men might disagree on the methods by which humanity should gain ascendancy, but when it came to mobilizing for war Cerberus would do what was necessary to make certain that the Systems Alliance was behind it one hundred percent.

All of these pieces of information were new ways to track, catalog, and influence the right people at the right time. Provide someone with a crucial piece of data at the right time and they felt indebted to you. Withhold that same information and one could gain access to important pieces of data in exchange.

Knowledge was a currency all of its own and Cerberus was a very rich organization. With a few quick touches a large order was placed with one of the numerous brokerage shell companies that they operated. A hundred thousand shares in three different pre-fab habitation producers that would be purchased when the markets opened tomorrow. The slowing of human expansion had send the price tumbling, but once word that the abductions had stopped they would make rapid gains as companies scrambled to get their colony projects moving again. Especially when certain companies received anonymous but highly reliable data packets about the truth of the event. At the very least the rapid increase in stock prices would help fund the organization for the next year.

Despite the costs the Lazarus Project was ultimately a success. That success freed up considerable resources to dedicated to other research. There were thousands of terabytes of data alone that had been sent from EDI regarding the Collectors. And loose ends from other less... successful projects demanded his attention.

His temper had cooled. The leash that he'd had on Shepard had been lost, but it was likely only the illusion of control in the first place. Now there were new opportunities to exploit. Let Shepard have his ideals. Cerberus would always be there in the shadows to make sure what needed to happen did, that humanity's interests were pushed to the forefront. And what couldn't be controlled could still be guided.

The Illusive Man pulled up another screen and gave a rare smile. Information scrolled by slowly, highlighting recently gained intelligence. Spectre. Operatives. Shadowbroker. T'Soni. Everything hadn't gone as planned, but he hadn't shown his entire hand either. As the old saying went, you lure more flies with honey. Or in this case retribution. Shepard might have redefined the rules of the game, but it was far from over.

He looked out once more at the pulsating blue giant and took a drag from his cigarette, blowing the smoke out in a long, slow exhalation.

After all, they still had a galaxy to save against the looming threat of the Reapers. Once that was over the real work could begin.

* * *

**By popular request and some people that weren't satisfied with the way it ended I decided to add a final word to the end of Razor's Edge. Thanks for all the reviews and kind words. And keep an eye out, there's always a chance another story might crop its way up on my author page someday dealing with events after ME2 ;)**


	37. Afterword: Dark Witness

As a shout out to those that have given me a great deal of reviews and feedback, I've finally begun a short series that will deal with events after the destruction of the Collector base for Shepard and the rest of the Razor's Edge universe!

You can find it here: .net/s/6814325/1/ 


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